ruffle

Definitions

1. 1.To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
2. 2.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.
3. 3.To erect in a ruff, as feathers. [the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. Tennyson.
4. 4.(Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
5. 5.To discompose; to agitate; to disturb. These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. Sir W. Hamilton. But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart. Tennyson.
6. 6.To throw into disorder or confusion. Where best He might the ruffled foe infest. Hudibras.
7. 7.To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.] I ruffled up falen leaves in heap. Chapman To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to irritate.
8. 8.To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. [R.] The night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely ruffle. Shak.
9. 9.To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter. On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined, Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind. Dryden.
10. 10.To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger. They would ruffle with jurors. Bacon. Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery. Sir W. Scott.
11. 11.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.
12. 12.A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.
13. 13.(Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also ruff. H. L. Scott.
14. 14.(Zoöl.) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oöthecæ, of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Oötheca. Ruffle of a boot, the top turned down, and scalloped or plaited. Halliwell.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "ruffle" mean?
• What is another word for "ruffle"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is ruffle.

• What is to furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt called?
• What is to erect in a ruff, as feathers. [the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. Tennyson called?
• What is to beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum called?
• What is to discompose; to agitate; to disturb. These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. Sir W. Hamilton. But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart. Tennyson called?
• What is to throw into disorder or confusion. Where best He might the ruffled foe infest. Hudibras called?
• What is to throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.] I ruffled up falen leaves in heap. Chapman To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to irritate called?
• What is to grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. [R.] The night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely ruffle. Shak called?
• What is to become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter. On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined, Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind. Dryden called?
• What is to be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger. They would ruffle with jurors. Bacon. Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery. Sir W. Scott called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is a state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle called?
• What is a low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also ruff. H. L. Scott called?