ruffian

5 definitions found

ruffian - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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. Ruffle to grow turbulent.]
     1. A pimp; a pander; also, a paramour. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He [her husband] is no sooner abroad than she is
              instantly at home, reveling with her ruffians. --Bp.
                                                    Reynolds.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A boisterous, cruel, brutal fellow; a desperate fellow
        ready for murderous or cruel deeds; a cutthroat.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian? --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence: A tough, lawless or bullying person.
        [1913 Webster]

  Ruffian \Ruf"fian\, a.
     Brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous; as, ruffian
     rage.
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  Ruffian \Ruf"fian\, v. i.
     To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. [R.] --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

ruffian - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  ruffian
      n 1: a cruel and brutal fellow [syn: bully, tough,
           hooligan, ruffian, roughneck, rowdy, yob, yobo,
           yobbo]

ruffian - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  120 Moby Thesaurus words for "ruffian":
     Babbitt, Philistine, arriviste, bad boy, battler, belligerent,
     belted knight, bickerer, blade, booger, boor, bounder, bourgeois,
     bravo, brawler, bucko, buffoon, bugger, bully, bullyboy, cad,
     churl, clown, combatant, competitor, contender, contestant,
     cutthroat, cutup, desperado, devil, disputant, duelist, elf,
     enfant terrible, enforcer, epicier, fencer, feuder, fighter,
     fighting cock, foilsman, funmaker, gamecock, gladiator, goon,
     gorilla, groundling, gunman, guttersnipe, hatchet man, hell-raiser,
     hellcat, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, ill-bred fellow, imp, joker,
     jokester, jouster, killer, knave, knight, little devil,
     little monkey, little rascal, looby, lout, low fellow, mad dog,
     militant, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, mucker, nouveau riche,
     parvenu, peasant, pixie, plug-ugly, practical joker, prankster,
     puck, punk, quarreler, rapscallion, rascal, ribald, rioter, rival,
     rogue, rough, roughneck, rowdy, sabreur, scamp, scapegrace,
     scrapper, scuffler, squabbler, strong arm, strong-arm man,
     strong-armer, struggler, swashbuckler, sword, swordplayer,
     swordsman, thug, tilter, tough, tussler, upstart, vulgarian,
     vulgarist, wag, wrangler, yahoo, yokel