Meaning & use
ruff
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A stiff, pleated collar, especially the wide starched collars fashionable in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
See it in a sentence
In the portrait, the nobleman wore an elaborate white ruff around his neck.
Costume designers researched historical ruffs before building the Elizabethan-era wardrobe.
A note on using this word
Also used for the natural ring of feathers or fur around some animals' necks, such as a ruffed grouse.
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