different between perplex vs ruffle

English

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin perplexus (“entangled, confused”), from per (“through”) + plexus, perfect passive participle of plect? (“plait, weave, braid”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: p?rpl?ks?, IPA^(key): /p??pl?ks/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: p?pl?ks?, IPA^(key): /p??pl?ks/
• Rhymes: -?ks

Verb

perplex (third-person singular simple present perplexes, present participle perplexing, simple past and past participle perplexed)

1. (transitive) To cause to feel baffled; to puzzle.
2. (transitive) To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated.

   • What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To plague; to vex; to torment.
   • 1726, George Granville, Chloe

     Chloe's the wonder of her sex, 'Tis well her heart is tender, How might such killing eyes perplex, With virtue to defend her.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:confuse

Related terms

• perplexable
• perplexation
• perplexed
• perplexedness
• perplexing
• perplexity
• perplexment

Translations

Adjective

perplex (comparative more perplex, superlative most perplex)

1. (obsolete) intricate; difficult
   • 1665, Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica

     How the soul directs the spirits for the motion of the body, according to the several animal exigents, is as perplex in the Theory, as either of the former.

Noun

perplex (plural perplexes)

1. (obsolete) A difficulty.

Further reading

• perplex in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• perplex in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• perplex at OneLook Dictionary Search

German

Etymology

From French perplexe, from Latin perplexus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???pl?ks/
• Hyphenation: per?plex

Adjective

perplex (comparative perplexer, superlative am perplexesten)

1. (colloquial, rarely attributive) confused, perplexed, puzzled

   Synonyms: verdutzt, verblüfft, verwirrt

Declension

Related terms

• Perplexität

Further reading

• “perplex” in Duden online
• “perplex” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “perplex” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Romanian

Etymology

From French perplexe, from Latin perplex.

Adjective

perplex m or n (feminine singular perplex?, masculine plural perplec?i, feminine and neuter plural perplexe)

1. perplexed

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle English ruffelen, perhaps from Old Norse hrufla (“to graze, scratch”) or Middle Low German ruffelen (“to wrinkle, curl”). Further origin unknown. Related to Middle Dutch ruyffelen, German Low German ruffeln. See English ruff.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???f?l/
• Rhymes: -?f?l

Noun

ruffle (plural ruffles)

1. Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
2. Disturbance; agitation; commotion.

3. (military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff.
4. (zoology) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.

Synonyms

• (strip of fabric): frill, furbelow

Translations

Verb

ruffle (third-person singular simple present ruffles, present participle ruffling, simple past and past participle ruffled)

1. (transitive) To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.

2. (transitive) To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.
   • 1832, Isaac Taylor, Saturday Evening

     the fantastic revelries […] that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile

   • 1860, Sir William Hamilton, Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet

     These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind.

   • 1859, Alfred Tennyson, Guinevere
3. (intransitive) To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
4. (intransitive) To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
5. (intransitive) To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
6. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
7. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
   • 1832, Alfred Tennyson, The Palace of Art
8. (military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
9. To throw together in a disorderly manner.

Translations

Derived terms

• rufflement
• ruffler
• ruffle some feathers
• ruffle up
• ruffly
• unruffled

References

Anagrams

• Fulfer, luffer