ruff

UK: /ˈrʌf/ US: /rʌf/ ,(ruf )

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ruff¹ /rʌf/  n. [countable]

1. Clothing a collar of lace, gathered into deep, full, regular folds, worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. a collar, or set of marked hairs or feathers, on the neck of an animal.

ruffed, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ruff¹  (ruf ), n. 

1. Clothing a neckpiece or collar of lace, lawn, or the like, gathered or drawn into deep, full, regular folds, worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
2. something resembling such a piece in form or position.
3. a collar, or set of lengthened or specially marked hairs or feathers, on the neck of an animal.
4. Birds [Ornith.] a species of European and Asian sandpiper, Philomachus pugnax, the male of which has a large erectile ruff of feathers during the breeding season. Cf. reeve ^3.
5. Dialect Terms, Clothing, British Terms [Alaska and Northern Canada.] a fringe of fur around the edge of a parka hood or along the edges of a jacket.

v.t. 

6. Clothing tease (def. 3).

• perh. back formation from ruffle¹ 1515–25

ruff′like′, adj. 

ruff²  (ruf ), [Cards.]
n. 

1. Games an act or instance of trumping when one cannot follow suit.
2. Games an old game of cards, resembling whist.

v.t., v.i. 
3. Games to trump when unable to follow suit.
• German Trumpf trump¹
• French ro(u)ffle; cognate with Italian ronfa a card game, probably
• probably 1580–90

ruff³ (ruf ), n. 

1. Fish a small European freshwater fish, Acerina cernua, of the perch family.

• 1400–50; Middle English ruf, roffe; perh. special use of rough

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ruff / rʌf/ noun

1. a circular pleated, gathered, or fluted collar of lawn, muslin, etc, often starched or wired, worn by both men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries
2. a natural growth of long or coloured hair or feathers around the necks of certain animals or birds
3. an Old World shore bird, Philomachus pugnax, the male of which has a large erectile ruff of feathers in the breeding season: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes
4. the male of this bird
   Compare reeve3

Etymology: 16th Century: back formation from ruffle¹

ˈruffˌlike adjective

ruff / rʌf/ noun

1. another word for trump1
2. an old card game similar to whist

verb

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French roffle; perhaps changed from Italian trionfa trump¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ruffe, ruff / rʌf/ noun

1. a European freshwater teleost fish, Acerina cernua, having a single spiny dorsal fin: family Percidae (perches)

Etymology: 15th Century: perhaps an alteration of rough (referring to its scales)