Lexic.us

Definition of Ruffle

1. Verb. Stir up (water) so as to form ripples.

2. Noun. A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim.

3. Verb. Trouble or vex. "The performance is likely to ruffle Sue"; "Ruffle somebody's composure"

4. Noun. A high tight collar.

5. Verb. To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others. "The children ruffle to the playground"; "He struts around like a rooster in a hen house"

6. Noun. A noisy fight.

7. Verb. Discompose. "She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues"

8. Verb. Twitch or flutter. "The paper flicked"

9. Verb. Mix so as to make a random order or arrangement. "Shuffle the cards"

10. Verb. Erect or fluff up. "The bird ruffled its feathers"

11. Verb. Disturb the smoothness of. "Ruffle the surface of the water"

12. Verb. Pleat or gather into a ruffle. "Ruffle the curtain fabric"

Definition of Ruffle

1. v. t. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.

2. v. i. To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.

3. n. 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.

Definition of Ruffle

1. Noun. Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, ''as'' an edge of fabric. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Ruffle

1. to destroy the smoothness of [v -FLED, -FLING, -FLES]

Medical Definition of Ruffle

1. 1. Projections at the leading edge of a crawling cell. In time lapse films the active edge appears to ruffle. The protrusions are apparently supported by a microfilament meshwork and can move centripetally over the dorsal surface of a cell in culture. 2. The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Ootheca. Ruffle of a boot, the top turned down, and scalloped or plaited. 3. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle. 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. 4. A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle. 5. 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) Origin: From Ruff a plaited collar, a drum beat, a tumult: cf. OD. Ruyffelen to wrinkle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Ruffle

ruffed lemur ruffes ruffian ruffianage ruffianed ruffianish ruffianism ruffianisms ruffianlike ruffianly

ruffianous ruffians ruffin ruffing ruffins ruffle (current term) ruffle some feathers ruffle up ruffled ruffleless

rufflement rufflements ruffler rufflers ruffles rufflier ruffliest rufflike ruffling rufflings

Literary usage of Ruffle

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Handy-book of Literary Curiosities by William Shepard Walsh (1892)
"One would suppose a silly pen A shabby weapon in a scuffle ; But yet the pen of critic men A very hern's soul would ruffle. I grant that some by tongue or ..."

2. Clothing for Women; Selection, Design, Construction: A Practical Manual for by Laura Irene Baldt (1916)
"To make: Decide upon the depth of the ruffle to be made, then cut as many ... When tucking is to be used around the ruffle, overhand edges if possible, ..."

3. Domestic Art in Woman's Education: For the Use of Those Studying the Method by Anna Maria Cooley (1911)
"To stroke the gathers of the ruffle. To baste a part of the ruffle to the ... SUBJECT-MATTER To prepare the ruffle for gathering, these steps were taken: 1. ..."

4. A Glossary to the Works of William Shakespeare by Alexander Dyce (1902)
"(FAIRHOLT). ruffle, to be turbulent and boisterous, to swagger: To ruffle in the commonwealth of Rome, Tit. ii 313; the bleak winds Do sorely ruffle, ..."

5. Principles and Practice of Agricultural Analysis: A Manual for the by Harvey Washington Wiley (1895)
"The ruffle Soda-Lime Method.—Many attempts have been made to adapt the soda-lime ... Of these the process devised by ruffle is the only one which has proved ..."

6. Clothing and Health: An Elementary Textbook of Home Making by Helen Kinne, Anna Maria Cooley (1916)
"The skirt is then cut 3 or 4 inches shorter, and the ruffle makes the length ... This ruffle has \ inch hem on the bottom edge and is sewed to skirt with a ..."

7. Dramatic Table Talk, Or, Scenes, Situations, & Adventures, Serious & Comic by Richard Ryan, François Joseph Talma (1825)
"A SHIFT FOR A ruffle. Once, in a barn, the strolling wardrobe's list Had but one ruffle ... Necessity, which has no law, they say, Could, with one ruffle, ..."

8. Rural Education: A Complete Course of Study for Modern Rural Schools by Andrew Ezra Pickard (1915)
"Directions: Cut the gores two inches shorter than the desired length, three pieces across the material, each five and a half inches deep, for the ruffle, ..."

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