Definitions for: Ruffle


[n] a noisy fight
[n] a high tight collar
[n] a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
[v] pleat or gather into a ruffle; "ruffle the curtain fabric"
[v] disturb the smoothness of; "ruffle the surface of the water"
[v] erect or fluff up; "the bird ruffled its feathers"
[v] mix so as to make a random order or arrangement; "shuffle the cards"
[v] twitch or flutter; "the paper flicked"
[v] trouble or vex; "ruffle somebody's composure"
[v] discompose; "This play is going to ruffle some people"; "She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues"
[v] to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others; "He strut around like a rooster in a hen house."
[v] stir up (water) so as to form ripples



Webster (1913) Definition: Ruf"fle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruffled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Ruffling.] [From Ruff a plaited collar, a drum beat, a
tumult: cf. OD. ruyffelen to wrinkle.]
1. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers,
plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.

2. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.

3. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by
agitation or commotion.

The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled
the placid bosom of the Nile. --I. Taylor.

She smoothed the ruffled seas. --Dryden.

4. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.

[the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. --Tennyson.

5. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.

6. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.

These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. --Sir W.
Hamilton.

But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in
him and ruffled all his heart. --Tennyson.

7. To throw into disorder or confusion.

Where best He might the ruffled foe infest.
--Hudibras.

8. To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.]

I ruffled up falen leaves in heap. --Chapman

To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to
irritate.


Ruf"fle, v. i. [Perhaps of different origin from ruffle
to wrinkle; cf. OD. roffeln, roffen, to pander, LG. raffein,
Dan. ruffer a pimp. Cf. Rufflan.]
1. To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. [R.]

The night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely
ruffle. --Shak.

2. To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.

On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined,
Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind. --Dryden.

3. To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on
airs; to swagger.

They would ruffle with jurors. --Bacon.

Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery. --Sir
W. Scott.


Ruf"fle, n. [See Ruffle, v. t. & i.]
1. That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace,
cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one
edge or in the middle, and used as a trimming; a frill.

2. A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance;
agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.

3. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a
roll; -- called also ruff. --H. L. Scott.

4. (Zo["o]l.) The connected series of large egg capsules, or
o["o]thec[ae], of any one of several species of American
marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See O["o]theca.

Ruffle of a boot, the top turned down, and scalloped or
plaited. --Halliwell.

Synonyms: affray, choker, cock, cockle, disturbance, flick, flounce, fluff, fray, frill, furbelow, mess up, mix, neck ruff, pleat, prance, riffle, ripple, ruff, ruffle up, rumple, sashay, shuffle, strut, swagger, undulate

See Also: adornment, annoy, bother, chafe, collar, combat, cut, devil, disarrange, displace, fight, fighting, flow, fluff up, fluster, flux, fold, fold, fold up, fold up, fraise, gauffer, get at, get to, goffer, gravel, irritate, jabot, loosen, manipulate, move, nark, neckband, nettle, peplum, pimproll, plump up, rag, reshuffle, riffle, rile, shake up, turn up, turn up, vex, walk

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