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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
ruffle
    n 1: a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
         [syn: frill, flounce, ruffle, furbelow]
    2: a high tight collar [syn: choker, ruff, ruffle, neck
       ruff]
    3: a noisy fight [syn: affray, disturbance, fray,
       ruffle]
    v 1: stir up (water) so as to form ripples [syn: ripple,
         ruffle, riffle, cockle, undulate]
    2: trouble or vex; "ruffle somebody's composure"
    3: to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to
       impress others; "He struts around like a rooster in a hen
       house" [syn: tittup, swagger, ruffle, prance,
       strut, sashay, cock]
    4: discompose; "This play is going to ruffle some people"; "She
       has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues"
    5: twitch or flutter; "the paper flicked" [syn: flick,
       ruffle, riffle]
    6: mix so as to make a random order or arrangement; "shuffle the
       cards" [syn: shuffle, ruffle, mix]
    7: erect or fluff up; "the bird ruffled its feathers" [syn:
       ruffle, fluff]
    8: disturb the smoothness of; "ruffle the surface of the water"
       [syn: ruffle, ruffle up, rumple, mess up]
    9: pleat or gather into a ruffle; "ruffle the curtain fabric"
       [syn: ruffle, pleat]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruffled; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Ruffling.] [From Ruff a plaited collar, a drum beat, a
   tumult: cf. OD. ruyffelen to wrinkle.]
   1. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers,
      plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by
      agitation or commotion.
      [1913 Webster]

            The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled
            the placid bosom of the Nile.         --I. Taylor.
      [1913 Webster]

            She smoothed the ruffled seas.        --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
      [1913 Webster]

            [the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.
      [1913 Webster]

            These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.
      [1913 Webster]

            But, ever after, the small violence done
            Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart.
                                                  --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. To throw into disorder or confusion.
      [1913 Webster]

            Where best
            He might the ruffled foe infest.      --Hudibras.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.]
      [1913 Webster]

            I ruffled up falen leaves in heap.    --Chapman
      [1913 Webster]

   To ruffle the feathers of, to exite the resentment of; to
      irritate.
      [1913 Webster]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, v. i. [Perhaps of different origin from ruffle
   to wrinkle; cf. OD. roffeln, roffen, to pander, LG. raffein,
   Dan. ruffer a pimp. Cf. Rufflan.]
   1. To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. [R.]
      [1913 Webster]

            The night comes on, and the bleak winds
            Do sorely ruffle.                     --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
      [1913 Webster]

            On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined,
            Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind. --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on
      airs; to swagger.
      [1913 Webster]

            They would ruffle with jurors.        --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

            Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery. --Sir
                                                  W. Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

4. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, n. [See Ruffle, v. t. & i.]
   1. That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace,
      cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one
      edge or in the middle, and used as a trimming; a frill.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance;
      agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a
      roll; -- called also ruff. --H. L. Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Zool.) The connected series of large egg capsules, or
      oothecae, of any one of several species of American marine
      gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Ootheca.
      [1913 Webster]

   Ruffle of a boot, the top turned down, and scalloped or
      plaited. --Halliwell.
      [1913 Webster]

Thesaurus Results for Ruffle:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
abrade, addle, addle the wits, ado, affect, aggravate, agitate, agitation, annoy, arouse, badger, bait, ball up, barrage, be at, beading, beat, beat a ruffle, beat a tattoo, beat the drum, beat time, beat up, beating, becloud, bedazzle, bedevil, befuddle, befuddlement, beset, bewilder, bewilderment, binding, bludgeon, bluster, bordering, bordure, bother, botheration, bristle, brouhaha, browbeat, brown off, bug, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, burn up, bustle, chafe, chaos, chivy, churn, churn up, cloud, clutter, commotion, confuse, confusion, convulse, corrugate, count, count the beats, cow, crease, creasing, crimp, crinkle, crisp, crumple, daze, dazzle, derange, devil, disarrange, disarray, discombobulate, discombobulation, discomfit, discomfiture, discompose, discomposure, disconcert, disconcertion, dishevel, dislocate, disorder, disorganization, disorganize, disorient, disorientation, disquiet, distemper, disturb, disturbance, dog, dog-ear, double, double over, doubling, dragoon, drum, drum music, drumbeat, drumfire, drumming, duplicature, ebullience, ebullition, eddy, edging, effervescence, electrify, embarrass, embarrassment, embitter, embroilment, enfold, entangle, erode, exasperate, excite, exercise, fan, fash, feery-fary, ferment, fermentation, fimbria, fimbriation, flare, flection, flexure, flounce, flummox, flurry, fluster, flute, flutter, fog, fold, fold over, frenzy, fret, frill, frilling, fringe, fuddle, fuddlement, fume, furbelow, fuss, gall, galloon, gather, gathering, get, go pitapat, graze, gripe, harass, harry, haze, heckle, hector, hem, hex, hound, huff, hurly-burly, hurry, hurry-scurry, incense, inflame, infold, interfold, intimidate, irk, irritate, jar, jolt, jumble, keep time, lap over, lapel, lappet, list, litter, maze, mess, mess up, miff, misarrange, mist, mix up, moider, molest, motif, muddle, muddlement, muss, muss up, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, paddle, palpitate, palpitation, paradiddle, patter, peeve, pell-mell, peplum, perplex, perplexity, persecute, perturb, perturbate, perturbation, pester, pick on, pique, pitapat, pitter-patter, plague, plait, plat, play drum, pleat, plica, plicate, plication, plicature, pluck the beard, ply, pother, pound, pounding, provoke, psych out, pucker, pulsate, pulsation, put out, quill, raise hell, rankle, rat-a-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat-tat, rataplan, rattattoo, rattle, ride, rile, ripple, rock, roil, roll, roughen, rub, rub-a-dub, ruche, ruching, ruff, rumple, scatter, selvage, set on edge, set up, shake, shake up, shock, shuffle, skirting, sound a tattoo, spatter, splatter, splutter, spook, sputter, staccato, stagger, stew, stir, stir the blood, stir up, strong-arm, sweat, swirl, swirling, swivet, tangle, tap, tat-tat, tattoo, tease, throb, throbbing, throw, throw into confusion, thrum, thump, thumping, tizzy, to-do, tom-tom, torment, tousle, trimming, trouble, try the patience, tuck, tumult, turbulence, turmoil, turn over, tweak the nose, twill, unnerve, unsettle, unsettlement, unstring, uproar, upset, valance, vex, voodoo, vortex, wavelet, wear, welt, whip, whip up, whirl, whisk, wind, winnow, work up, worry, wrinkle, yeastiness
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