Definition Definition

ruffle - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'ruffle' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Ruffle [ v. i.]
- To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
- To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
- To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
2 . Ruffle [ v. t.]
- To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
- To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
- To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion.
- To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
- To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
- To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.
- To throw into disorder or confusion.
- To throw together in a disorderly manner.
3 . Ruffle [ v. t. & i.]
- That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace, cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one edge or in the middle, and used as a trimming; a frill.
- A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.
- A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also ruff.
- The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Ootheca.

Meaning of 'ruffle' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . ruffle [ v]
Meaning (1):
- to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
Example in sentence:
  • He struts around like a rooster in a hen house
Meaning (2):
- trouble or vex
Example in sentence:
  • ruffle somebody's composure
Meaning (3):
- pleat or gather into a ruffle
Example in sentence:
  • ruffle the curtain fabric
Meaning (4):
- disturb the smoothness of
Example in sentence:
  • ruffle the surface of the water
Meaning (5):
- discompose
Example in sentence:
  • She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues;
  • This play is going to ruffle some people
Meaning (6):
- mix so as to make a random order or arrangement
Example in sentence:
  • shuffle the cards
Meaning (7):
- erect or fluff up
Example in sentence:
  • the bird ruffled its feathers
Meaning (8):
- twitch or flutter
Example in sentence:
  • the paper flicked