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ruff
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). |
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Cite this article
"ruff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ruff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ruff.html "ruff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ruff.html |
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ruff
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"ruff." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ruff." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ruff.html "ruff." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ruff.html |
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ruff
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. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff2.html T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff2.html |
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ruff
ruff2 †ruffle on a garment; article of neckwear consisting of linen, etc. starched in folds. XVI. poss. sb. use of ruff, ROUGH.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff1.html T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff1.html |
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ruff
ruff4 male of the sandpiper, distinguished in the breeding-season by a ruff. XVII. transf. use of RUFF2.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff3.html T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff3.html |
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ruff
ruff1 small freshwater fish of the perch family, with prickly scales. XV. prob. sb. use of ROUGH.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff.html T. F. HOAD. "ruff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ruff.html |
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Philomachus pugnax
Philomachus pugnax (ruff) See SCOLOPACIDAE.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "Philomachus pugnax." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Philomachus pugnax." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Philomachuspugnax.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Philomachus pugnax." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Philomachuspugnax.html |
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ruff
ruff (Philomachus pugnax) See SCOLOPACIDAE.
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Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "ruff." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "ruff." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-ruff.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "ruff." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-ruff.html |
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ruff
ruff •bluff, buff, chough, chuff, cuff, duff, enough, fluff, gruff, guff, huff, luff, muff, puff, rough, ruff, scruff, scuff, slough, snuff, stuff, Tough, tuff
•handcuff • earmuff • powder puff
•dandruff • woodruff • feedstuff
•greenstuff • foodstuff
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Cite this article
"ruff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ruff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-ruff.html "ruff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-ruff.html |
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