Word
ruffle
Phoneticsruf·fle
US/ˈɹəfəɫ/
UK/ɹˈʌfəl/
Definition
n. a small, soft fold of cloth that hangs from a piece of clothing. It is often used to make a dress or shirt look more decorative.
n. a small, soft pleat or fold of fabric, typically hanging from a garment. Often used as a decorative element in fashion or textile design.
Examples
“She added a white ruffle to the bottom of her dress.”
“The designer chose to add a delicate ruffle to the neckline of the evening gown to give it a more feminine look.”
“While the overall silhouette of the gown was minimalist, the subtle ruffle along the hem provided a necessary contrast that prevented the fabric from appearing too flat.”
Examples
simple
“She added a white ruffle to the bottom of her dress.”
contextual
“The designer chose to add a delicate ruffle to the neckline of the evening gown to give it a more feminine look.”
complex
“While the overall silhouette of the gown was minimalist, the subtle ruffle along the hem provided a necessary contrast that prevented the fabric from appearing too flat.”
Real-World Examples
“The French film star is lying on his stomach, occasionally kicking up his bare legs, ruffling his curls and running the nail of his thumb over his moustache.” “It’s that rule of polite society again: one mustn’t rock the boat, ruffle feathers or put anyone’s nose out of joint.” Etymology
From Middle English ruffelen, perhaps from Old Norse hrufla (“to graze, scratch”) or Middle Low German ruffelen (“to wrinkle, curl”). Further origin unknown. Related to Middle Dutch ruyffelen, German Low German ruffeln. See English ruff.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
ruffle someone's feathers — To unease, cause discomfort to someone.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ruffle