ruff

1 of 4

noun (1)

variants or ruffe
: a small freshwater European perch (Acerina cernua)

ruff

2 of 4

noun (2)

1
: a large round collar of pleated muslin or linen worn by men and women of the late 16th and early 17th centuries
2
: a fringe or frill of long hairs or feathers growing around or on the neck of an animal
3
: a common Eurasian sandpiper (Philomachus pugnax) whose male during the breeding season has a large ruff of erectile feathers on the neck
ruffed adjective

Illustration of ruff

Illustration of ruff
  • ruff 1

ruff

3 of 4

verb

ruffed; ruffing; ruffs

intransitive verb

: to take a trick with a trump

transitive verb

: to play a trump on (a card previously led or played)

ruff

4 of 4

noun (3)

: the act of trumping

Examples of ruff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
East wins and leads a club, and South ruffs and leads a diamond to dummy’s jack. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 If declarer leads another heart, Cy wins and leads a third heart, forcing dummy to ruff and removing a key entry prematurely. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 South ruffs in dummy and ruffs a club with the queen of trumps. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024 All dogs are good—some are just a little ruff around the edges. Kelly O'Sullivan, Country Living, 25 Aug. 2023 Corrine Danner and Diana Martin shared how to make ruffs using skin and fur. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Aug. 2023 Like other Andean condors, Andy was a large black bird with white patches on his wings and a ruff of white feathers around his neck. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023 Consider those unsmiling dignitaries in seventeenth-century Dutch paintings, solemnly grouped around oak tables, dressed in sober black clothes and white ruffs, administering charity to the deserving poor. Ian Buruma, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023 Another canvas, The Astronomer (2021), shows a man wearing what appears to be a ruff, or distinctive Renaissance collar. Isis Davis-Marks, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2021
Verb
When East can’t ruff, South returns a trump to his hand and runs the diamonds to make the slam. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 West won and led the queen of hearts, and South ruffed and ran his trumps. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Rose then ruffed her last heart in dummy and discarded a diamond on the good fifth club. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 South ruffs in dummy and ruffs a club with the queen of trumps. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024 Declarer ruffed and led a heart to the queen and king. Bobby Wolff, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2023 For the dog dad who likes to rough it (or ruff it...), this dog sized sleeping bag is the perfect gift. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 30 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ruff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ruf

Noun (2)

probably back-formation from ruffle

Verb

Middle French roffler

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (3)

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruff was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ruff

Cite this Entry

“Ruff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruff. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ruff

noun
ˈrəf
1
: a large round collar of pleated muslin or linen worn by men and women in the 16th and 17th centuries
2
: a fringe of long hairs or feathers growing around or on the neck of an animal
ruffed
ˈrəft
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on ruff

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