RUFF

I. noun or ~e Etymology: Middle English ruf Date: 15th century a small freshwater European perch ( Acerina cernua ), II. noun Etymology: probably back-formation from ~le Date: 1555 a large round collar of pleated muslin or linen worn by men and women of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, a fringe or frill of long hairs or feathers growing around or on the neck of an animal, a common Eurasian sandpiper ( Philomachus pugnax ) whose male during the breeding season has a large ~ of erectile feathers on the neck, ~ed adjective III. verb Etymology: Middle French roffler Date: 1598 intransitive verb to take a trick with a trump, transitive verb to play a trump on (a card previously led or played), IV. noun Date: circa 1828 the act of trumping