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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruff \Ruff\, noun [Of uncertain origin: cf. Icel. r[umc]finn rough, uncombed, Pr. ruf rude, rough, Sp. rufo frizzed, crisp, curled, G. raufen to pluck, fight, rupfen to pluck, pull, E. rough. [root]18. Cf. {Ruffle} to wrinkle.]
1. A muslin or linen collar plaited, crimped, or fluted, worn formerly by both sexes, now only by women and children.
Here to-morrow with his best ruff on. --Shak.
His gravity is much lessened since the late proclamation came out against ruffs; . . . they were come to that height of excess herein, that twenty shillings were used to be paid for starching of a ruff. --Howell.
2. Something formed with plaits or flutings, like the collar of this name.
I reared this flower; . . . Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I spread. --Pope.
3. An exhibition of pride or haughtiness.
How many princes . . . in the ruff of all their glory, have been taken down from the head of a conquering army to the wheel of the victor's chariot! --L'Estrange.
4. Wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct. [Obs.]
To ruffle it out in a riotous ruff. --Latimer.
5. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; a ruffle.
6. (Mach.) A collar on a shaft ot other piece to prevent endwise motion. See Illust. of {Collar}.
7. (Zo["o]l.) A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers round, or on, the neck of a bird.
8. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A limicoline bird of Europe and Asia ({Pavoncella pugnax}, syn. {Philomachus pugnax}) allied to the sandpipers. The males during the breeding season have a large ruff of erectile feathers, variable in their colors, on the neck, and yellowish naked tubercles on the face. They are polygamous, and are noted for their pugnacity in the breeding season. The female is called {reeve}, or {rheeve}. (b) A variety of the domestic pigeon, having a ruff of its neck.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruff \Ruff\, noun [F. ronfle; cf. It. ronfa, Pg. rufa, rifa.] (Card Playing) (a) A game similar to whist, and the predecessor of it. --Nares. (b) The act of trumping, especially when one has no card of the suit led.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruff \Ruff\, verb (used without an object) & t. (Card Playing) To trump.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruff \Ruff\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Ruffed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ruffing}.]
1. To ruffle; to disorder. --Spenser.
2. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
3. (Hawking) To hit, as the prey, without fixing it.
4. (Card Playing) To play a trump card at bridge; as, he ruffed his partner's ace. [PJC]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruff \Ruff\, Ruffe \Ruffe\, noun [OE. ruffe.] (Zo["o]l.) A small freshwater European perch ({Acerina vulgaris}); -- called also {pope}, {blacktail}, and {stone perch}, or {striped perch}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, noun [See {Ruffle}, verb (used with an object) & i.]
1. That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace, cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one edge or in the middle, and used as a trimming; a frill.
2. A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.
3. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also {ruff}. --H. L. Scott.
4. (Zo["o]l.) The connected series of large egg capsules, or o["o]thec[ae], of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus {Fulgur}. See {O["o]theca}.
{Ruffle of a boot}, the top turned down, and scalloped or plaited. --Halliwell.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Trump \Trump\, noun [A corruption of triumph, F. triomphe. See {Triumph}, and cf. {Trump} a trumpet.]
1. A winning card; one of a particular suit (usually determined by chance for each deal) any card of which takes any card of the other suits.
2. An old game with cards, nearly the same as whist; -- called also {ruff}. --Decker.
3. A good fellow; an excellent person. [Slang]
Alfred is a trump, I think you say. --Thackeray.
{To put to one's trumps}, or {To put on one's trumps}, to force to the last expedient, or to the utmost exertion.
But when kings come so low as to fawn upon philosophy, which before they neither valued nor understood, it is a sign that fails not, they are then put to their last trump. --Milton.
Put the housekeeper to her trumps to accommodate them. --W. Irving.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
ruff
noun
1: a high tight collar [syn: {choker}, {ruffle}, {neck ruff}]
2: common Eurasian sandpiper; male has an erectile ruff in breeding season [syn: {Philomachus pugnax}]
3: the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit [syn: {trumping}]
verb: play a trump [syn: {trump}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
94 Moby Thesaurus words for "ruff": ace, barrage, beat, beating, best bower, bower, cards, clubs, crease, crimp, crisp, deck, deuce, diamonds, dog-ear, double, double over, drum, drum music, drumbeat, drumfire, drumming, dummy, enfold, face cards, flounce, flush, flute, flutter, fold, fold over, frill, full house, gather, hand, hearts, infold, interfold, jack, joker, king, knave, lap over, left bower, pack, pair, palpitation, paradiddle, patter, picture cards, pitapat, pitter-patter, plait, plat, playing cards, pleat, plicate, ply, pound, pounding, pulsation, queen, quill, rat-a-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat-tat, rataplan, rattattoo, roll, round, royal flush, rub-a-dub, rubber, ruffle, singleton, spades, spatter, splutter, sputter, staccato, straight, tat-tat, tattoo, throb, throbbing, thrum, thumping, tom-tom, trey, trick, trump, tuck, turn over, twill
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