What does "ruffian" mean?
Ruffian: A boisterous, cruel, brutal fellow; a desperate fellow ready for murderous or cruel deeds; a cutthroat. Wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous; as, ruffian rage.
- 3.To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. [R.] Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00