ruff

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   common Eurasian sandpiper

   The male has an erectile neck ruff in breeding season.

2. 2
   noun

   A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).

   You a Captaine? you ſlaue, for what? for tearing a poore Whores Ruffe in a Bawdy-houſe? Hee a Captaine? hang him Rogue, hee liues vpon mouldie ſtew'd-Pruines, and dry'de Cakes.

3. 3
   noun

   Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.

   Fair from its humble bed I rear'd this flow'r; / Suckled, and chear'd, with air, and ſun, and ſhow'r; / Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I ſpread, / Bright with the gilded button tipt its head; […].

4. 4
   noun

   Senses relating to animals.

   A reeve shows her readiness to copulate by crouching in a particular residence. In a crowded lek she selects an individual ruff by turning towards him while still crouching. Some ruffs are thus chosen frequently while others are never selected. Ruff and reeve only copulate after she has crouched and has sometimes nibbled the feathers at the back of the ruff’s head.

From Old French roffle, rouffle (earlier romfle, ronfle), or from Italian ronfa (“card game similar to whist”); these words are possibly from Old French triomphe (“a triumph, victory”), Italian trionfo (“triumph; trump card”), from Latin triumphus (“hymn to Bacchus; celebration, triumph”), ultimately from Ancient Greek θρῐ́ᾰμβος (thrĭ́ămbos, “hymn to Dionysius, thriambus”). The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of trump.

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