ruff

views updated May 23 2018

ruff1 / rəf/ • n. 1. a projecting starched frill worn around the neck. 2. a projecting or conspicuously colored ring of feathers or hair around the neck of a bird or mammal. 3. (pl. same or ruffs ) a northern Eurasian wading bird (Philomachus pugnax) of the sandpiper family, the male of which has a large variously colored ruff and ear tufts in the breeding season, used in display. The female is called a reeve.DERIVATIVES: ruffed adj.ruff2 • n. 1. an edible marine fish (Arripis georgianus, family Arripidae) of Australian inshore waters that is related to the Australian salmon. Also called roughy in Australia. 2. variant spelling of ruffe.ruff3 • v. [intr.] (in bridge, whist, and similar card games) play a trump in a trick that was led in a different suit. ∎  [tr.] play a trump on (a card in another suit).• n. an act of ruffing or opportunity to ruff.ruff4 • n. Mus. one of the basic patterns (rudiments) of drumming, consisting of a single note preceded by either two grace notes played with the other stick (double-stroke ruff or drag) or three grace notes played with alternating sticks (four-stroke ruff).

ruff

views updated May 23 2018

ruff Bird of the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae). The male is noted for a collar of long feathers about its neck, and for its courtship performances. The female is called a reeve. The ruff migrates across n Europe and n Asia to Africa and India. Species Philomachus pugnax.

ruff

views updated May 18 2018

ruff3 †former card-game XVI; kind of trump at cards XVII; (from the vb.) act of trumping XIX. — OF. ro(u)ffle, earlier ronfle, romfle (corr. to It. ronfa), poss. alt. of triomphe (It. trionfo) TRUMP2.
Hence vb. XVI.

ruff

views updated May 29 2018

ruff4 male of the sandpiper, distinguished in the breeding-season by a ruff. XVII. transf. use of RUFF2.

ruff

views updated Jun 08 2018

ruff2 †ruffle on a garment; article of neckwear consisting of linen, etc. starched in folds. XVI. poss. sb. use of ruff, ROUGH.

ruff

views updated May 29 2018

ruff (Philomachus pugnax) See SCOLOPACIDAE.

Philomachus pugnax

views updated May 23 2018

Philomachus pugnax (ruff) See SCOLOPACIDAE.

ruff

views updated May 23 2018

ruff1 small freshwater fish of the perch family, with prickly scales. XV. prob. sb. use of ROUGH.