(ruf) noun
1. A pleated, round, heavily starched collar popular in the 16th century.
2. Ruffle¹ (def. 1).
3. A natural collar of projecting feathers or hair around the neck of a bird or mammal.
4. An Old World sandpiper (Philomachus pugnax) of which the male in the breeding season has an erectile frill of elongated feathers about the neck. The female is called a reeve.
—v.i. To become ruffled; stand out like a ruff. ♦ Homophone: rough. [Short for RUFFLE¹]
RUFF
17^th century.

(ruf) noun
1. The playing of a trump upon another suit when one has no cards of that suit.
2. An old game, the predecessor of whist.
—v.t. & v.i. To trump when unable to follow suit. ♦ Homophone: rough. [<OF roffle, rouffle, ronfle, aphetic alter. of triomphe triumph. Cf. Ital. ronfa a game at cards <trionfo triumph. Related to TRUMP¹.]

(ruf) noun
A small perchlike fish (Acerina cernua) of European fresh waters. Also ruffe. ♦ Homophone: rough. [<ROUGH]

(ruf)
See RUFFLE³.