ruffe

noun

see ruff I, 1

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ruff¹ «ruhf», noun.

1. a deep frill, stiff enough to stand out, worn around the neck by men and women in the 1500's and 1600's.

2. a collar of specially marked feathers or hairs on the neck of a bird or other animal.

3. a sandpiper of Europe and Asia. The male has ear tufts and a ruff on the neck in the breeding season. The female is called a reeve.

╂[perhaps related to ruffle¹, perhaps < rough]

ruff² «ruhf», verb, noun.

–v.t., v.i.

to trump in a card game: »

West had to ruff with a good trump and the prospective penalty was down to 100 (Observer).

–n.

1. the act of trumping.

2. Obsolete. a card game resembling whist.

╂[< Middle French roffle < Old French ronfle, romfle]

ruff³ or ruffe «ruhf», noun.

a small European freshwater fish similar to the perch.

╂[perhaps < Middle English roughe rough (probably from its prickles)]

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[rəf]

(also ruff) n. a freshwater fish of the perch family, with a greenish-brown back and yellow sides and underparts. Native to Eurasia, it has been introduced into Lakes Michigan and Superior. ● Gymnocephalus cernua, family Percidae

Origin:

late Middle English: probably from a variant of rough

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ruffe

obs. form of roof, rough, ruff.