ruff
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ruff 1
(rŭf)n.
1. A stiffly starched frilled or pleated circular collar of lace, muslin, or other fine fabric, worn by men and women in the 1500s and 1600s.
2. A distinctive collarlike projection around the neck, as of feathers on a bird or of fur on a mammal.
3. A migratory sandpiper (Philomachus pugnax) of the Eastern Hemisphere, the male of which has collarlike, erectile feathers around the neck during the breeding season.
[Perhaps short for ruffle.]
ruffed adj.
ruff 2
(rŭf) Gamesn.
1. The playing of a trump card when one cannot follow suit.
2. An old game resembling whist.
tr. & intr.v. ruffed, ruff·ing, ruffs
To trump or play a trump.
[Obsolete French ronfle, roffle, a kind of card game, from Old French ronfle, from renfler, to rise : re-, re- + enfler, to cause to swell (from Latin īnflāre; see inflate).]
ruff 3
(rŭf)n.
1. also ruffe Any of several marine fishes of the family Centrolophidae, usually having spiny dorsal fins.
2. A small edible fish (Arripis georgianus) of coastal and estuarine waters of southern Australia. Also called roughy.
3. Variant of ruffe..
[Middle English rowe, roffe, ruffe, any of various fishes, especially Gymnocephalus cernuus, perhaps from variant of rough, rough; see rough, or from Medieval Latin rufus, a kind of fish (perhaps from Latin rūfus, red, tawny; see rufous).]
ruff 4
(rŭf)n.
See ruffle2.
[Of imitative origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ruff
(rʌf)n
1. (Clothing & Fashion) a circular pleated, gathered, or fluted collar of lawn, muslin, etc, often starched or wired, worn by both men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries
2. (Zoology) zoology a natural growth of long or coloured hair or feathers around the necks of certain animals or birds
3. (Animals)
a. an Old World shore bird, Philomachus pugnax, the male of which has a large erectile ruff of feathers in the breeding season: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes
b. the male of this bird. Compare reeve3
[C16: back formation from ruffle1]
ˈruffˌlike adj
ruff
(rʌf) cardsn
1. (Card Games) another word for trump1
2. (Card Games) an old card game similar to whist
vb
another word for trump14
[C16: from Old French roffle; perhaps changed from Italian trionfa trump1]
ruff
(rʌf)n
(Animals) another name for roughie
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ruff1
(rʌf)n.
1. a neckpiece or collar of lace, lawn, or the like, gathered into deep, full, regular folds, worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. a collar, or set of lengthened or specially marked hairs or feathers, on the neck of an animal.
3. a Eurasian sandpiper, Philomachus pugnax, the male of which has a large erectile ruff of feathers during the breeding season. Compare reeve 3.
[1515–25; perhaps back formation from ruffle1]
ruffed, adj.
ruff2
(rʌf)n.
1. an act or instance of trumping in cards when one cannot follow suit.
2. an old game of cards resembling whist.
v.t., v.i. 3. to trump when unable to follow suit.
[1580–90; probably < French ro(u)ffle, akin to Italian ronfa a card game, probably < German Trumpf trump1]
ruff3
(rʌf)n.
a small European freshwater fish, Acerina cernua, of the perch family.
[1400–50; Middle English ruf, roffe; perhaps identical with rough]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | ruff - an external body part consisting of feathers or hair about the neck of a bird or other animal external body part - any body part visible externally |
| 2. |  ruff - a high tight collar fraise - a ruff for the neck worn in the 16th century | |
| 3. |  ruff - common Eurasian sandpiper; the male has an erectile neck ruff in breeding seasonsandpiper - any of numerous usually small wading birds having a slender bill and piping call; closely related to the plovers genus Philomachus, Philomachus - ruffs reeve - female ruff | |
| 4. | ruff - (card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit turn, play - (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play" bridge - any of various card games based on whist for four players | |
| Verb | 1. |  ruff - play a trump overtrump - play a trump higher than (one previously played) to the trick crossruff - trump alternately in two hands |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
ruff
nounCollins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
nyakfodor
ruff
1 [rʌf] N2. (Orn, Zool) → collarín m
ruff
2 [rʌf] (Cards)A. N
1. (= game) viejo juego de cartas similar al whist
2. (= act of trumping) → fallo m
B. VT → fallar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
ruff
1n
(on dress etc, of bird, animal) → Halskrause f
(= bird) → Kampfläufer m
ruff
2 (Cards)n → Trumpfen nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995