different between fuff vs ruff

English

Etymology

Imitative. Compare puff.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?f

Verb

fuff (third-person singular simple present fuffs, present participle fuffing, simple past and past participle fuffed)

1. (dialect, transitive, intransitive) To puff.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Noun

fuff (plural fuffs)

1. (dialect) A puff.
2. (dialect) The spitting of a cat.
3. (dialect) A burst of anger.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??f/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??f/
• Rhymes: -?f
• Homophones: rough, ruffe

Etymology 1

Clipping of ruffle, or possibly from rough.

Noun

ruff (plural ruffs)

1. A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England (1560s–1620s).
2. Anything formed with plaits or flutings like a frill.
3. Senses relating to animals.
   1. Philomachus pugnax (syn. Calidris pugnax), a gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; specifically, a male of the species which develops a distinctive ruff of feathers and ear tufts during mating season (the female is called a reeve).
   2. (ornithology) A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.
   3. (zoology) A collar of lengthened or distinctively coloured fur on or around the neck of an animal.
4. (engineering) A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
5. (obsolete) An exhibition of haughtiness or pride.
6. (obsolete) Tumultuous or wanton conduct or procedure.

Translations

Verb

ruff (third-person singular simple present ruffs, present participle ruffing, simple past and past participle ruffed)

1. (transitive) To shape (fabric, etc.) into a ruff; to adorn (a garment, etc.) with a ruff.
2. (transitive, falconry) Of a falcon, hawk, etc.: to hit (the prey) without fixing or grabbing hold of it.
3. (rare, transitive) To ruffle; to disorder.
4. (obsolete, transitive) Of a bird: to ruffle its feathers.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To boast, to brag.
6. (obsolete, intransitive) To speak in a loud and domineering manner; to bluster, to swagger.

Etymology 2

Possibly from rough.

Noun

ruff (plural ruffs)

1. Alternative spelling of ruffe: a small freshwater fish of the genus Gymnocephalus; specifically the Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua or Gymnocephalus cernuus) which has spiny fins; the pope.
3. Arripis georgianus, a fish found in cool waters off the southern coast of Australia; the Australian herring or tommy ruff.
4. (obsolete) A bottom-dwelling carnivorous fish of the family Sparidae found in temperate and tropical waters; a porgy or sea bream.

Synonyms

• (Australian herring (Arripis georgianus)): roughy

Translations

Etymology 3

From Old French roffle, rouffle (earlier romfle, ronfle), or from Italian ronfa (“card game similar to whist”); these words are possibly from Old French triomphe (“a triumph, victory”), Italian trionfo (“triumph; trump card”), from Latin triumphus (“hymn to Bacchus; celebration, triumph”), ultimately from Ancient Greek ????????? (thríambos, “hymn to Dionysius, thriambus”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Verb

ruff (third-person singular simple present ruffs, present participle ruffing, simple past and past participle ruffed) (card games)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To play a trump card to a trick when unable to follow suit (that is, to play a card of the same suit as the previous or leading card). [late 16th c.]
2. (transitive) Especially in the form ruff out: to defeat (a card, etc.) by ruffing, thus establishing the master card in the suit led.

Synonyms

• trump

Derived terms

• overruff
• underruff

Translations

Noun

ruff (plural ruffs) (card games)

1. An instance of ruffing, or an opportunity to ruff, when unable to follow suit. [late 16th c.]
2. (obsolete) A game similar to whist and its predecessor. [late 16th c.]

Translations

Etymology 4

Onomatopoeic.

Noun

ruff (plural ruffs)

1. (music, often military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.

Verb

ruff (third-person singular simple present ruffs, present participle ruffing, simple past and past participle ruffed) (music, often military)

1. (transitive) To beat a ruff or ruffle, as on a drum.
2. (intransitive) Of a drum, etc.: to have a ruff or ruffle beaten on it.

Interjection

ruff

1. The bark of a dog; arf, woof.

Etymology 5

Adjective

ruff (comparative ruffer, superlative ruffest)

1. (colloquial) Alternative spelling of rough.

References

• ruff at OneLook Dictionary Search

Further reading

• ruff (bird) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• ruff (cards) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• ruff (clothing) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• ruff (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia