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ruf·fle 1 (rŭfəl)
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n.
1. A strip of frilled or closely pleated fabric used for trimming or decoration.
2. A ruff on a bird.
3. An irregularity or a slight disturbance of a surface: the ruffle on the lake.
4. A beating or rustling sound: the ruffle of drums in the distance; the ruffle of a skirt on the floor.
v. ruf·fled, ruf·fling, ruf·fles
v.tr.
1. To disturb the smoothness or regularity of; ripple: The wind ruffled the water.
2.
a. To pleat or gather (fabric) into a ruffle.
b. To put a ruffle on (a garment, for example).
3. To erect (the feathers). Used of birds.
4. To discompose or annoy; fluster: a book that is bound to ruffle some people.
5. To flip through (the pages of a book).
6. To shuffle (cards).
v.intr.
1. To become irregular or rough: His hair ruffled in the wind.
2. To become annoyed or flustered: What teacher doesn't ruffle when students act up in class?
3.
a. To flip through the pages of a book: ruffled through the book until I found the picture.
b. To search for something in a container: ruffled in her bag looking for the keys.
4. To make a beating or rustling sound.
[From Middle English ruffelen, to roughen.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
ruf·fle 2 (rŭfəl)
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n.
A low continuous beating of a drum that is not as loud as a roll. Also called ruff4.
tr.v. ruf·fled, ruf·fling, ruf·fles
To beat a ruffle on (a drum).
[Probably from frequentative of RUFF4.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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