RUFFLE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ruffle mean? 

• RUFFLE (noun)
  The noun RUFFLE has 3 senses:

1. a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
2. a high tight collar
3. a noisy fight

  Familiarity information: RUFFLE used as a noun is uncommon.

• RUFFLE (verb)
  The verb RUFFLE has 9 senses:

1. stir up (water) so as to form ripples
2. trouble or vex
3. to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
4. discompose
5. twitch or flutter
6. mix so as to make a random order or arrangement
7. erect or fluff up
8. disturb the smoothness of
9. pleat or gather into a ruffle

  Familiarity information: RUFFLE used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RUFFLE (noun)

Sense 1

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

ruffle; furbelow; flounce; frill

Hypernyms ("ruffle" is a kind of...):

adornment (a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ruffle"):

gauffer; goffer (an ornamental frill made by pressing pleats)

jabot (a ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt)

peplum (a flared ruffle attached to the waistline of a dress or jacket or blouse)

Sense 2

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A high tight collar

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

neck ruff; ruff; ruffle; choker

Hypernyms ("ruffle" is a kind of...):

collar; neckband (a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ruffle"):

fraise (a ruff for the neck worn in the 16th century)

Sense 3

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A noisy fight

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

fray; affray; ruffle; disturbance

Hypernyms ("ruffle" is a kind of...):

combat; fight; fighting; scrap (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

• RUFFLE (verb)

Sense 1

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Stir up (water) so as to form ripples

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cockle; ripple; ruffle; undulate; riffle

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

flow; flux (move or progress freely as if in a stream)

"Ruffle" entails doing...:

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Trouble or vex

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

ruffle somebody's composure

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

annoy; bother; chafe; devil; get at; get to; gravel; irritate; nark; nettle; rag; rile; vex (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to ruffle Sue

Sense 3

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

tittup; prance; swagger; strut; sashay; ruffle; cock

Context example:

He struts around like a rooster in a hen house

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

walk (use one's feet to advance; advance by steps)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Discompose

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context examples:

This play is going to ruffle some people / She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

fluster (cause to be nervous or upset)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 5

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Twitch or flutter

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

riffle; ruffle; flick

Context example:

the paper flicked

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Mix so as to make a random order or arrangement

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

shuffle; ruffle; mix

Context example:

shuffle the cards

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

manipulate (hold something in one's hands and move it)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ruffle"):

reshuffle (shuffle again)

riffle (shuffle (playing cards) by separating the deck into two parts and riffling with the thumbs so the cards intermix)

cut (divide a deck of cards at random into two parts to make selection difficult)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Erect or fluff up

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

fluff; ruffle

Context example:

the bird ruffled its feathers

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

loosen (make less dense)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Disturb the smoothness of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

rumple; ruffle up; mess up; ruffle

Context example:

ruffle the surface of the water

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

disarrange (destroy the arrangement or order of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 9

ruffle [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Pleat or gather into a ruffle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pleat; ruffle

Context example:

ruffle the curtain fabric

Hypernyms (to "ruffle" is one way to...):

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something