English Explanatory Dictionary

ruffle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
Disturbance; agitation; commotion.
A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff.
The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.

verb

To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.
To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.
To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
To throw together in a disorderly manner.

Pronunciation

/ˈɹʌfəl/ en-us-ruffle.ogg

Word forms

ruffle ruffles ruffling ruffled

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.

Synonyms

frill furbelow perturb trouble unsettle agitate freak bother bring down discompose disconcert enturbulate disturb mortify put out ruffle throw off balance upset flurry

Derived words

bed ruffle dust ruffle ruffleless ruffleable ruffle a few feathers ruffle any feathers ruffle feathers rufflement ruffler ruffle some feathers ruffle someone's feathers ruffle up ruffly toruffle unrufflable unruffle unruffled

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

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