ruff

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈrəf 

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

ˈrəft 

adjective

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

And the annual World’s Ugliest Dog contest unearthed some true diamonds in the ruff on Friday when it was held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 24 June 2024

Advancing players learn the reasons to delay: to ruff losers, preserve entries, set up a fast discard for a loser, and more. —Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 8 June 2024

Louie can count nine tricks for South: five trumps, the ace of hearts, a heart ruff in dummy, the ace of diamonds (South surely has that card to accept North’s invitational raise) and one club. —Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 14 May 2024

Then West should continue with two more high hearts, forcing dummy to ruff, and East’s king of trumps wins the setting trick. —Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024

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

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