ruff

/rʌf/
verb
  1. To trump another player's card in a card game, especially in bridge or whist.
    • She decided to ruff the opponent's ace with her last trump card.
    • In the final trick, he ruffed the heart lead and won the game.
    • You should ruff early in the hand to gain control of the suit.
Synonyms
noun
  1. A stiff, circular collar of pleated lace or linen worn around the neck, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries.
    • In the museum, we saw a display of Elizabethan clothing, including a starched ruff.
    • The queen's portrait showed her wearing an elaborate white ruff that framed her face.
    • The actor playing Shakespeare wore a ruff and a velvet doublet on stage.
  2. A ring of feathers or fur around the neck of a bird or mammal.
    • The male frigatebird inflates its bright red ruff to attract a mate.
    • The ruff of fur around the lion's neck made it look even more majestic.
    • Some owls have a ruff of feathers that helps direct sound to their ears.
  3. A shorebird (Calidris pugnax) with a distinctive ruff of feathers around the neck during breeding season, found in Europe and Asia.
    • We saw a ruff displaying its colorful neck feathers in the wetlands.
    • The ruff is known for its elaborate courtship dances on the breeding grounds.
    • Birders traveled to the estuary hoping to catch a glimpse of a migrating ruff.
Synonyms