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).