RUFFIAN


Meaning of RUFFIAN in English

/ ˈrʌfiən; NAmE / noun

( old-fashioned ) a violent man, especially one who commits crimes

SYN thug

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WORD ORIGIN

late 15th cent.: from Old French ruffian , from Italian ruffiano , perhaps from dialect rofia scab, of Germanic origin.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.