/ ˈrʌfiən; NAmE / noun
( old-fashioned ) a violent man, especially one who commits crimes
SYN thug
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: from Old French ruffian , from Italian ruffiano , perhaps from dialect rofia scab, of Germanic origin.
/ ˈrʌfiən; NAmE / noun
( old-fashioned ) a violent man, especially one who commits crimes
SYN thug
••
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. 2005