different between ruff vs kuff

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

English

Etymology

Shortened form of kuffar; from the Arabic ???????? (kuff?r), the plural form of ??????? (k?fir).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?f/

Noun

kuff (plural kuffs)

1. (derogatory, slang) A non-Muslim.
   • 2009, Ophelia Benson, Jeremy Stangroom, Does God Hate Women? (page 66)

     Given the clash of civilizations theory, Islamic views on kuffs, and recent tensions over the Pope's remarks in Regensburg, it is interesting to see how closely Islam and the Vatican echo each other on the question of women.

Translations