ruffle
See also: rüffle
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): /ˈɹʌfəl/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌfəl
Noun
ruffle (plural ruffles)
- Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
- She loved the dress with the lace ruffle at the hem.
- 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], OCLC 21345056, page 169:
- His dress was splendid; his hands glittered with rings, his snuff-box was covered with diamonds, and his ruffles were of the finest Mechlin lace.
- 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:
- Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […] Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.
- Disturbance; agitation; commotion.
- to put the mind in a ruffle
- (military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff[1].
- (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
strip of fabric
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Verb
ruffle (third-person singular simple present ruffles, present participle ruffling, simple past and past participle ruffled)
- (transitive) To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.
- Ruffle the end of the cuff.
- (transitive) To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.
- The wind ruffled the papers.
- Her sudden volley of insults ruffled his composure.
- 1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:
- She […] smoothed the ruffled seas.
- 1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball, OCLC 2619891:
- the fantastic revelries […] that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile
- 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Guinevere”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], OCLC 911789798, pages 227–228:
- But, ever after, the small violence done / Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart, / As the sharp wind that ruffles all day long / A little bitter pool about a stone / On the bare coast.
- 1860, Sir William Hamilton, Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet
- These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind.
- 1972, Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Knopf, page 114:
- "Ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. Wonka, coming up close and raising both hands for silence. "Please, I beg you, do not ruffle yourselves! There's nothing to worry about."
- 2018 February 24, Paul Rees, “Finn Russell masterminds historic Scotland victory over England”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 22 April 2018:
- [Finn] Russell created his side’s three first-half tries, ruffling a defence known for its composure, and dictated the match from the off.
- (intransitive) To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
- c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene iv]:
- The night comes on, and the bleak winds / Do sorely ruffle.
-
- (intransitive) To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
- 1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:
- On his right shoulder his thick mane ', / Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind.
-
- (intransitive) To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
- 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, OCLC 1086746628:
- They would ruffle with jurors.
- 1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., OCLC 2392685:
- gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery
-
- To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
- To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
- 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], OCLC 1008064829, page 16:
- [T]he barge with oar and sail / Moved from the brink, like some full-breasted swan / That, fluting a wild carol ere her death, / Ruffles her pure cold plume, and takes the flood / With swarthy webs.
-
- (military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
- To throw together in a disorderly manner.
- 1614–1615, Homer, “The Seventh Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, OCLC 1002865976; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, OCLC 987451380, lines 395–397, page 165:
- Within a thicket I reposed; when round / I ruffled up fall'n leaves in heap; and found, / Let fall from heaven, a sleep interminate.
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Derived terms
- rufflement
- ruffler
- ruffle some feathers
- ruffle up
- ruffly
- unruffled
Translations
to curl or flute
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to disturb
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References
- 1863, Henry Lee Scott, Military Dictionary
Anagrams
- Fulfer, luffer