Part 440

Latimer.

5. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; a ruffle.

6. (Mach.) A collar on a shaft ot other piece to prevent endwise motion. See Illust. of Collar.

7. (Zoöl.) A set of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers round, or on, the neck of a bird.

8. (Zoöl.) (a) A limicoline bird of Europe and Asia (Pavoncella, or Philommachus, pugnax) allied to the sandpipers. The males during the breeding season have a large ruff of erectile feathers, variable in their colors, on the neck, and yellowish naked tubercles on the face. They are polygamous, and are noted for their pugnacity in the breeding season. The female is called reeve, or rheeve. (b) A variety of the domestic pigeon, having a ruff of its neck.

Ruff, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruffed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ruffing.] 1. To ruffle; to disorder. Spenser.

2. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.

3. (Hawking) To hit, as the prey, without fixing it.

{ Ruff, Ruffe } (?), n. [OE. ruffe.] (Zoöl.) A small freshwater European perch (Acerina vulgaris); -- called also pope, blacktail, and stone, or striped, perch.

Ruffed (?), a. Furnished with a ruff.

Ruffed grouse (Zoöl.), a North American grouse (Bonasa umbellus) common in the wooded districts of the Northern United States. The male has a ruff of brown or black feathers on each side of the neck, and is noted for the loud drumming sound he makes during the breeding season. Called also tippet grouse, partridge, birch partridge, pheasant, drummer, and white-flesher. -- ruffed lemur (Zoöl.), a species of lemur (lemur varius) having a conspicuous ruff on the sides of the head. Its color is varied with black and white. Called also ruffed maucaco.

Ruf"fian (? or ?; 277), n. [F. rufien, OF. ruffen, ruffian, pimp. libertine, ake; cf. pr. & Sp. rufian, It. ruffiano; all perhaps of German or Dutch origin; cf. G. raufen to pluck, scuffle, fight, OD. roffen to pander. Cf. Ruffle to grow urbulent.] 1. A pimp; a pander; also, a paramour. [Obs.]

he [her husband] is no sooner abroad than she is instantly at home, reveling with her ruffians.

Bp. Reynolds.

2. A boisterous, cruel, brutal fellow; a desperate fellow ready for murderous or cruel deeds; a cutthroat.

Wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian?

Shak.

Ruf"fian, a. brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous; as, ruffian rage.

Ruf"fian, v. i. To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. [R.] Shak.

Ruf"fian*age (?), n. Ruffians, collectively; a body of ruffians. "The vilest ruffianage." Sir F. Palgrave.

Ruf"fian*ish, a. Having the qualities or manners of a ruffian; ruffianly.

Ruf"fian*like` (?), a. Ruffianly. Fulke.

Ruf"fian*ly, a. Like a ruffian; bold in crimes; characteristic of a ruffian; violent; brutal.

Ruf"fian*ous (?), a. Ruffianly. [Obs.] Chapman.

Ruf"fin (?), a. [See Ruffian.] Disordered. [Obs.]

His ruffin rainment all was stained with blood.

Spenser.

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