ruff

Meanings

Plural: ruffs

Noun

• an external body part consisting of feathers or hair about the neck of a bird or other animal
• a high tight collar
• common Eurasian sandpiper; the male has an erectile neck ruff in breeding season
• (card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit
• A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
• Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.
• Senses relating to animals.
• Philomachus pugnax (syn. Calidris pugnax), a gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; specifically, a male of the species which develops a distinctive ruff of feathers and ear tufts during mating season (the female is called a reeve).
• Senses relating to animals.
• A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.
• Senses relating to animals.
• A collar of lengthened or distinctively coloured fur on or around the neck of an animal.
• A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
• An exhibition of haughtiness or pride.
• Tumultuous or wanton conduct or procedure.
• Alternative spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus; specifically a Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus) which has spiny fins; the pope.
• A fish of species Arripis georgianus, found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia
• A bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Sparidae found in temperate and tropical waters; a porgy or sea bream.
• An instance of ruffing, or an opportunity to ruff, when unable to follow suit.
• A game similar to whist and its predecessor.
• A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.

Verb

• play a trump
• To shape (fabric, etc.) into a ruff; to adorn (a garment, etc.) with a ruff.
• Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to hit (the prey) without fixing or grabbing hold of it.
• To ruffle; to disorder.
• Of a bird: to ruffle its feathers.
• To boast, to brag.
• To speak in a loud and domineering manner; to bluster, to swagger.
• To play a trump card to a trick when unable to follow suit (that is, when unable to play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card).
• Especially in the form ruff out: to defeat (a card, etc.) by ruffing, thus establishing the master card in the suit led.
• To beat a ruff or ruffle, as on a drum.
• Of a drum, etc.: to have a ruff or ruffle beaten on it.

Intj

• The bark of a dog; arf, woof.

Adj

• Alternative spelling of rough.

Synonyms

Australian herring, choker, frill, neck ruff, Philomachus pugnax, roughy, ruffle, tommy ruff, trump, trumping

Anagrams of ruff