Adjacent Words

Ruffle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RUF'FLE, v.t.
1. Properly, to wrinkle; to draw or contract into wrinkles, open plaits or folds.
2. To disorder by disturbing a smooth surface; to make uneven by agitation; as, to ruffle the sea or a lake.
She smooth'd the ruffl'd seas.
3. To discompose by disturbing a calm state of; to agitate; to disturb; as, to ruffle the mind; to ruffle the passions or the temper. It expresses less than fret and vex.
4. To throw into disorder or confusion.
- Where best he might the ruffl'd foe invest.
5. To throw together in a disorderly manner.
I ruffl'd up fall'n leaves in heap. [Unusual.]
6. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
RUF'FLE, v.i.
1. To grow rough or turbulent; as, the winds ruffle.
2. To play loosely; to flutter.
On his right shoulder his thick mane reclin'd, ruffles at speed and dances in the wind.
3. To be rough; to jar; to be contention.
They would ruffle with jurors. Obs.
RUF'FLE, n.
1. A strip of plaited cambric or other fine cloth attached to some border of a garment, as to the wristband or bosom. That at the bosom is sometimes called by the English, a frill.
2. Disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind or temper in a ruffle.
RUF'FLE,
RUFF, n. A particular beat or roll of the drum, used on certain occasions in military affairs, as a mark of respect. Lieutenant Generals have three ruffles, as they pass by the regiment, guard, etc. Major generals have two, brigadiers one, etc.
RUF'FLE,
RUFF, v.t. To beat the ruff or roll of the drum.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim [syn: frill, flounce, ruffle, furbelow]
2: a high tight collar [syn: choker, ruff, ruffle, neck ruff]
3: a noisy fight [syn: affray, disturbance, fray, ruffle] v
1: stir up (water) so as to form ripples [syn: ripple, ruffle, riffle, cockle, undulate]
2: trouble or vex; "ruffle somebody's composure"
3: to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others; "He struts around like a rooster in a hen house" [syn: tittup, swagger, ruffle, prance, strut, sashay, cock]
4: discompose; "This play is going to ruffle some people"; "She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues"
5: twitch or flutter; "the paper flicked" [syn: flick, ruffle, riffle]
6: mix so as to make a random order or arrangement; "shuffle the cards" [syn: shuffle, ruffle, mix]
7: erect or fluff up; "the bird ruffled its feathers" [syn: ruffle, fluff]
8: disturb the smoothness of; "ruffle the surface of the water" [syn: ruffle, ruffle up, rumple, mess up]
9: pleat or gather into a ruffle; "ruffle the curtain fabric" [syn: ruffle, pleat]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (ruffled; ruffling) Etymology: Middle English ruffelen; akin to Low German ruffelen to crumple Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. roughen, abrade b. trouble, vex <is not ruffled by such barbs — Bruce Anderson> 2. to erect (as feathers) in or like a ruff 3. a. to flip through (as pages) b. shuffle 4. to make into a ruffle intransitive verb to become ruffled <their dispositions ruffle perceptibly — Life> II. noun Date: 1534 1. commotion, brawl 2. a state or cause of irritation 3. a. a strip of fabric gathered or pleated on one edge b. ruff II,2 4. an unevenness or disturbance of surface ; ripple • ruffly adjective III. noun Etymology: ruff a drumbeat Date: circa 1802 a low vibrating drumbeat less loud than a roll

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. disturb the smoothness or tranquillity of. 2 tr. upset the calmness of (a person). 3 tr. gather (lace etc.) into a ruffle. 4 tr. (often foll. by up) (of a bird) erect (its feathers) in anger, display, etc. 5 intr. undergo ruffling. 6 intr. lose smoothness or calmness. --n. 1 an ornamental gathered or goffered frill of lace etc. worn at the opening of a garment esp. round the wrist, breast, or neck. 2 perturbation, bustle. 3 a rippling effect on water. 4 the ruff of a bird etc. (see RUFF(1) 2). 5 Mil. a vibrating drum-beat. Etymology: ME: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ruffle Ruf"fle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruffled; p. pr. & vb. n. Ruffling.] [From Ruff a plaited collar, a drum beat, a tumult: cf. OD. ruyffelen to wrinkle.] 1. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle. 2. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt. 3. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion. The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile. --I. Taylor. She smoothed the ruffled seas. --Dryden. 4. To erect in a ruff, as feathers. [the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. --Tennyson. 5. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum. 6. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb. These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. --Sir W. Hamilton. But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart. --Tennyson. 7. To throw into disorder or confusion. Where best He might the ruffled foe infest. --Hudibras. 8. To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.] I ruffled up falen leaves in heap. --Chapman To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to irritate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ruffle Ruf"fle, n. [See Ruffle, v. t. & 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ruffle Ruf"fle, v. i. [Perhaps of different origin from ruffle to wrinkle; cf. OD. roffeln, roffen, to pander, LG. raffein, Dan. ruffer a pimp. Cf. Rufflan.] 1. To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. [R.] The night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely ruffle. --Shak. 2. To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter. On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined, Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind. --Dryden. 3. To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger. They would ruffle with jurors. --Bacon. Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery. --Sir W. Scott.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ruffles, ruffling, ruffled) 1. If you ruffle someone's hair, you move your hand backwards and forwards through it as a way of showing your affection towards them. 'Don't let that get you down,' he said ruffling Ben's dark curls. VERB: V n 2. When the wind ruffles something such as the surface of the sea, it causes it to move gently in a wave-like motion. (LITERARY) The evening breeze ruffled the pond... VERB: V n 3. If something ruffles someone, it causes them to panic and lose their confidence or to become angry or upset. I could tell that my refusal to allow him to ruffle me infuriated him. VERB: V n 4. If a bird ruffles its feathers or if its feathers ruffle, they stand out on its body, for example when it is cleaning itself or when it is frightened. Tame birds, when approached, will stretch out their necks and ruffle their neck feathering... Its body plumage suddenly began to ruffle and swell. VERB: V n, V 5. Ruffles are folds of cloth at the neck or the ends of the arms of a piece of clothing, or are sometimes sewn on things as a decoration. ...a white blouse with ruffles at the neck and cuffs. N-COUNT: usu pl 6. To ruffle someone's feathers means to cause them to become very angry, nervous, or upset. His direct, often abrasive approach will doubtless ruffle a few feathers... PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Disarrange, damage, disorder, rumple, derange. 2. Discompose, disquiet, trouble, vex, torment, molest, plague, worry, harass, disturb, agitate, confuse, excite. 3. Gather into folds, wrinkle, cockle, pucker. 4. Surprise. 5. Amass, pile, heap. II. v. n. 1. Flutter, play loosely. 2. Swagger, put on airs. III. n. 1. Ruff, frill, edging. 2. Bustle, disturbance, commotion, contention, tumult, confusion, perturbation, flutter, flurry, agitation, fluster, hurry-skurry.

Moby Thesaurus

abrade, addle, addle the wits, ado, affect, aggravate, agitate, agitation, annoy, arouse, badger, bait, ball up, barrage, be at, beading, beat, beat a ruffle, beat a tattoo, beat the drum, beat time, beat up, beating, becloud, bedazzle, bedevil, befuddle, befuddlement, beset, bewilder, bewilderment, binding, bludgeon, bluster, bordering, bordure, bother, botheration, bristle, brouhaha, browbeat, brown off, bug, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, burn up, bustle, chafe, chaos, chivy, churn, churn up, cloud, clutter, commotion, confuse, confusion, convulse, corrugate, count, count the beats, cow, crease, creasing, crimp, crinkle, crisp, crumple, daze, dazzle, derange, devil, disarrange, disarray, discombobulate, discombobulation, discomfit, discomfiture, discompose, discomposure, disconcert, disconcertion, dishevel, dislocate, disorder, disorganization, disorganize, disorient, disorientation, disquiet, distemper, disturb, disturbance, dog, dog-ear, double, double over, doubling, dragoon, drum, drum music, drumbeat, drumfire, drumming, duplicature, ebullience, ebullition, eddy, edging, effervescence, electrify, embarrass, embarrassment, embitter, embroilment, enfold, entangle, erode, exasperate, excite, exercise, fan, fash, feery-fary, ferment, fermentation, fimbria, fimbriation, flare, flection, flexure, flounce, flummox, flurry, fluster, flute, flutter, fog, fold, fold over, frenzy, fret, frill, frilling, fringe, fuddle, fuddlement, fume, furbelow, fuss, gall, galloon, gather, gathering, get, go pitapat, graze, gripe, harass, harry, haze, heckle, hector, hem, hex, hound, huff, hurly-burly, hurry, hurry-scurry, incense, inflame, infold, interfold, intimidate, irk, irritate, jar, jolt, jumble, keep time, lap over, lapel, lappet, list, litter, maze, mess, mess up, miff, misarrange, mist, mix up, moider, molest, motif, muddle, muddlement, muss, muss up, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, paddle, palpitate, palpitation, paradiddle, patter, peeve, pell-mell, peplum, perplex, perplexity, persecute, perturb, perturbate, perturbation, pester, pick on, pique, pitapat, pitter-patter, plague, plait, plat, play drum, pleat, plica, plicate, plication, plicature, pluck the beard, ply, pother, pound, pounding, provoke, psych out, pucker, pulsate, pulsation, put out, quill, raise hell, rankle, rat-a-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat-tat, rataplan, rattattoo, rattle, ride, rile, ripple, rock, roil, roll, roughen, rub, rub-a-dub, ruche, ruching, ruff, rumple, scatter, selvage, set on edge, set up, shake, shake up, shock, shuffle, skirting, sound a tattoo, spatter, splatter, splutter, spook, sputter, staccato, stagger, stew, stir, stir the blood, stir up, strong-arm, sweat, swirl, swirling, swivet, tangle, tap, tat-tat, tattoo, tease, throb, throbbing, throw, throw into confusion, thrum, thump, thumping, tizzy, to-do, tom-tom, torment, tousle, trimming, trouble, try the patience, tuck, tumult, turbulence, turmoil, turn over, tweak the nose, twill, unnerve, unsettle, unsettlement, unstring, uproar, upset, valance, vex, voodoo, vortex, wavelet, wear, welt, whip, whip up, whirl, whisk, wind, winnow, work up, worry, wrinkle, yeastiness