- ruffian
- noun Etymology: Middle French rufian Date: 1531 a brutal person ; bully • ruffian adjective • ruffianism noun • ruffianly adjective
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
ruffian
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ruffian — [ ryfjɑ̃ ] n. m. VAR. rufian • XIVe; it. ruffiano, du rad. germ. hruf « croûte », pour qualifier, par métaph., la rudesse, la grossièreté ♦ Vx ou littér. Entremetteur, souteneur. « une espèce de grand voyou, commissionnaire, marchand de journaux … Encyclopédie Universelle
Ruffian — (17 avril 1972 – 7 juillet 1975) est une jument américaine considérée comme l un des meilleurs chevaux de courses américaines au XXe siècle. Sommaire 1 Carrière 2 Palmarès récompenses 2.1 … Wikipédia en Français
Ruffian — Ruf fian (r[u^]f yan or r[u^]f f[i^]*an; 277), n. [F. rufien, OF. ruffien, ruffian, pimp, libertine, rake; 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 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Ruffian — Ruf fian, v. i. To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. [R.] Shak. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Ruffian — Ruf fian, a. Brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous; as, ruffian rage. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
ruffian — 1530s, from M.Fr. rufian a pimp, from It. ruffiano a pander, pimp, of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Germanic source related to ROUGH (Cf. rough) (q.v.), but Du. roffiaan, Ger. Ruffian are said to be from French. English meaning might have been … Etymology dictionary
ruffian — index aggressor, delinquent, hoodlum, malefactor Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
ruffian — [n] hoodlum brute, bully, criminal, delinquent, gangster, goon*, hood, hooligan, mobster, punk, rioter, rowdy, thug, tough guy*, troublemaker; concept 412 … New thesaurus
ruffian — ► NOUN ▪ a violent or lawless person. DERIVATIVES ruffianism noun ruffianly adjective. ORIGIN Old French, from Italian ruffiano, perhaps from dialect rofia scab, scurf … English terms dictionary
ruffian — [ruf′ē ən, ruf′yən] n. [Fr rufian < It ruffiano, a pander < dial. roffia, filth < Gmc * hruf , scurf (akin to OHG ruf, OE hreof) < IE base * kreup > Lith kraupus, rough: E sense infl. by ROUGH] a brutal, violent, lawless person;… … English World dictionary
Ruffian — A ruffian can be defined as a scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person. [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ruffian] As a proper noun, Ruffian may refer to:*Ruffian (horse), a famous thoroughbred filly racehorse *Ruffian… … Wikipedia
