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Ruff vs Raff - What's the difference?

ruff | raff |

As nouns the difference between ruff and raff

is that ruff is a gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia, Philomachus pugnax while raff is a promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity; lumber; refuse.

As verbs the difference between ruff and raff

is that ruff is to ruffle; to disorder while raff is to sweep, snatch, draw, or huddle together; to take by a promiscuous sweep.

As an adjective ruff

is an alternative spelling of lang=en.

As an interjection ruff

is the bark of a dog; woof.

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.

    • raff

    English

    Noun

  • A promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity; lumber; refuse.
  • * Barrow
    • A raff of errors.
  • The common rabble or mob; riffraff.
  • A low fellow; a churl.

    • Derived terms

    * raff merchant

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To sweep, snatch, draw, or huddle together; to take by a promiscuous sweep.
  • * Carew
    • Causes and effects which I thus raff up together.
    (Webster 1913)