Definition of "ruffle"

ruffle

/ˈɹʌfəl/

noun
plural ruffles
1. Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
  Quotations
  His dress was splendid; his hands glittered with rings, his snuff-box was covered with diamonds, and his ruffles were of the finest Mechlin lace.
  1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Matrimonial Tête-à-Tête”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], page 169
  Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. […] Frills, ruffles, flounces, lace, complicated seams and gores: not only did they sweep the ground and have to be held up in one hand elegantly as you walked along, but they had little capes or coats or feather boas.
  1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins
2. Disturbance; agitation; commotion.
3. (military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff.
4. (zoology) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.
verb
third-person singular simple present ruffles, present participle ruffling, simple past and past participle ruffled
1. (transitive) To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.
2. (transitive) To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.
  Quotations
  She […] smoothed the ruffled seas.
  1697, Virgil, “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
  the fantastic revelries […] that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile
  1832, [Isaac Taylor], Saturday Evening. […], London: Holdsworth and Ball
  But, ever after, the small violence done / Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart, / As the sharp wind that ruffles all day long / A little bitter pool about a stone / On the bare coast.
  1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Guinevere”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], pages 227–228
  These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind.
  1860, Sir William Hamilton, Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet
  "Ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. Wonka, coming up close and raising both hands for silence. "Please, I beg you, do not ruffle yourselves! There's nothing to worry about."
  1972, Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Knopf, page 114
  [Finn] Russell created his side’s three first-half tries, ruffling a defence known for its composure, and dictated the match from the off.
  2018 February 24, Paul Rees, “Finn Russell masterminds historic Scotland victory over England”, in The Guardian‎, London, archived from the original on 22 April 2018
3. (intransitive) To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
  Quotations
  The night comes on, and the bleak winds / Do sorely ruffle.
  c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene iv]
4. (intransitive) To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
  Quotations
  On his right shoulder his thick mane ', / Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind.
  1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
5. (intransitive) To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
  Quotations
  They would ruffle with jurors.
  1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret
  gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery
  1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co.
6. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
7. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
  Quotations
  [T]he barge with oar and sail / Moved from the brink, like some full-breasted swan / That, fluting a wild carol ere her death, / Ruffles her pure cold plume, and takes the flood / With swarthy webs.
  1842, Alfred Tennyson, “Morte d’Arthur”, in Poems. […], volume II, London: Edward Moxon, […], page 16
8. (military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
9. To throw together in a disorderly manner.
  Quotations
  Within a thicket I reposed; when round / I ruffled up fall'n leaves in heap; and found, / Let fall from heaven, a sleep interminate.
  1614–1615, Homer, “The Seventh Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume I, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, page 165, lines 395–397

Definition of "ruffle"

ruffle

noun

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verb

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