noun

ruff

ruhf

noun

A stiff, frilled collar worn around the neck, especially in 16th and 17th century fashion.

"The portrait showed a nobleman in a starched white ruff."

A wading bird known for the male's decorative neck feathers grown during breeding season.

"Birdwatchers spotted a ruff displaying near the marsh."

verb

In card games, to play a trump card because you can't follow the suit led.

"She ruffed the trick with her last spade."

How to Use Ruff

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA frilly collar (fashion), a type of bird, or a card-game move — three unrelated meanings sharing one spelling.

Easily confused with

rough →

ruffed past tense, ruffed past tense, ruffed past tense, ruffs plural, ruffs plural, ruffs plural, ruffs singular, ruffs singular, ruffs singular

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Test yourself on “ruff” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The portrait showed a nobleman in a starched white _____.

Likely a shortened form of "ruffle," possibly influenced by "rough."

trump

exceed trump

buff duff muff tuff cuff puff huff guff stuff bluff gruff fluff

trump exceed