1. a circular collar of feathers or fur around the neck of an animal
2. a stiff circular collar worn as a fashion accessory, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries
Usage: historical
3. a type of sandpiper bird, the male of which has elaborate neck feathers during breeding season
Usage: ornithology

Examples

• The lion’s thick ruff made him look even more majestic.
• The dog’s ruff stood up when it was excited.
• The portrait showed a nobleman wearing an elaborate white ruff.
• Elizabethan fashion featured large starched ruffs around the neck.
• The male ruff displays colorful plumage to attract mates.
• We spotted a ruff wading in the shallow marsh water.