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Huff vs Ruff - What's the difference?

huff | ruff |

In obsolete terms the difference between huff and ruff

is that huff is a boaster; one swelled with a false sense of value or importance while ruff is wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct.

As nouns the difference between huff and ruff

is that huff is a heavy breath; a grunt or sigh while ruff is a gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia, Philomachus pugnax.

As verbs the difference between huff and ruff

is that huff is to breathe heavily while ruff is to ruffle; to disorder.

As a proper noun Huff

is {{surname}.

As an adjective ruff is

an alternative spelling of lang=en.

As an interjection ruff is

the bark of a dog; woof.

huff

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A heavy breath; a grunt or sigh.
  • With a huff , he lifted the box onto the back of the truck.
  • An expression of anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.
  • Freyja left in a huff .
  • (obsolete) A boaster; one swelled with a false sense of value or importance.
  • Lewd, shallow-brained huffs make atheism and contempt of religion the sole badge of wit. — South.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To breathe heavily.
  • The run left him huffing and puffing.
  • To inhale psychoactive inhalants.
  • To say in a huffy manner.
  • (draughts) To remove an opponent's piece as a forfeit for deliberately not taking a piece (often signalled by blowing on it).
  • To enlarge; to swell up.
  • Bread huffs .
  • To bluster or swell with anger, pride, or arrogance; to storm; to take offense.
  • * South
  • This senseless arrogant conceit of theirs made them huff at the doctrine of repentance.
  • To treat with insolence and arrogance; to chide or rebuke rudely; to hector; to bully.
  • * Echard
  • You must not presume to huff us.
    ----

    ruff

    English

    Etymology 1

    A shortening of (ruffle)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia, Philomachus pugnax .
  • # A male of the species. (The female is a reeve).
  • a small freshwater fish; a pope.
  • A circular frill or ruffle on a garment, especially a starched, fluted frill at the neck in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.
  • *
  • Anything formed with plaits or flutings, like the frill.
  • * (rfdate) Alexander Pope
  • I reared this flower; / Soft on the paper ruff its leaves I spread.
  • (obsolete) An exhibition of pride or haughtiness.
  • * (rfdate) L'Estrange
  • How many princes in the ruff of all their glory, have been taken down from the head of a conquering army to the wheel of the victor's chariot!
  • (obsolete) Wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct.
  • * (rfdate) Latimer
  • to ruffle it out in a riotous ruff
  • (military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruffle.
  • (engineering) A collar on a shaft or other piece to prevent endwise motion.
  • A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers on or around the neck of a bird.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To ruffle; to disorder.
  • (Spenser)
  • (military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
  • (hawking) To hit (the prey) without fixing it.
  • Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A card game similar to whist, and the predecessor of it.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (cards) To play a trump card to a trick, other than when trumps were led
  • Synonyms
    *

    Derived terms

    * overruff * underruff

    See also

    *

    Etymology 3

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (colloquial)
  • Etymology 4

    Onomatopoeic. English onomatopoeias

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • The bark of a dog; woof.