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Buff vs Ruff - What's the difference?

buff | ruff |

In lang=en terms the difference between buff and ruff

is that buff is attractive while ruff is to play a trump card to a trick, other than when trumps were led.

In obsolete terms the difference between buff and ruff

is that buff is a buffet; a blow while ruff is wanton or tumultuous procedure or conduct.

As nouns the difference between buff and ruff

is that buff is undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals while ruff is a gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia, Philomachus pugnax.

As adjectives the difference between buff and ruff

is that buff is of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow while ruff is an alternative spelling of lang=en.

As verbs the difference between buff and ruff

is that buff is to polish and make shiny by rubbing while ruff is to ruffle; to disorder.

As an acronym BUFF

is big Ugly Fat Fellow (or Fucker); US Airforce nickname for the B-52 bomber.

As an interjection ruff is

the bark of a dog; woof.

buff

English

Etymology 1

From .

Noun

(en noun)
  • Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a suit of buff
  • A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.
  • A brownish yellow colour.
  • * Dryden
    • a visage rough, deformed, unfeatured, and a skin of buff
  • A military coat made of buff leather.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (informal) A person who is very interested in a particular subject; an enthusiast.
    • He’s a history buff .
  • (gaming) An effect that temporally makes a gaming character stronger.
  • (rail transport) Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.
  • The bare skin.
    • to strip to the buff
  • * Wright
    • To be in buff is equivalent to being naked.
  • The greyish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat.
  • A substance used to dilute (street) drugs in order to increase profits.
  • * Police said the 20 ton hydraulic jack was used to press mixtures of cocaine and "buff" into bricks. (CBC)
    • Derived terms
    * in the buff
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.
  • (bodybuilding): Unusually muscular. (also buffed'' or ''buffed out )
    • The bouncer was a big, buff dude with tattoos, a shaved head, and a serious scowl.
  • * 1994 , Blurred Boundaries: Questions of Meaning in Contemporary Culture , page 155:
    • The appearance of logic often derives from faulty syllogisms such as Sgt. Koon's conclusion that King was an ex-con because he was "buffed out " (heavily muscled). The thinking is: "ex-cons are often buffed out; this man is buffed out; therefore, this man is an ex-con."
  • (slang) attractive.
    • Derived terms
    * buff-tip moth * buffly

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To polish and make shiny by rubbing.
  • (gaming) To make a character stronger.
    • The enchanter buffed the paladin to prepare him to fight the dragon.
    Derived terms
    * buff out * buff up * buff wheel

    Synonyms

    * (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing) wax, shine, polish, furbish, burnish
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To strike.
    • (Ben Jonson)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A buffet; a blow.
  • * Spenser
    • Nathless so sore a buff to him it lent / That made him reel.
    Derived terms
    * blind man's buff

    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.