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Ruff

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A wide, stiffly pleated circular collar worn in 16th–17th century Europe; used in historical verse to signal Elizabethan period detail.

Detailed Definition
A ruff is a stiff, pleated collar associated with early modern European dress and formal portraiture. It encircles the head like a paper flower or a pale wheel, emphasizing posture and facial expression. In verse, the ruff can signify vanity, rank, restraint, or the elaborate theater of identity. Its crisp folds may also contrast with the pulse, sweat, and sudden feeling of the living body it surrounds.
Example
Example in poetry:
The Elizabethan ruff framed his face in a bright circle of pleated linen; In the poem, her paper ruff crackles like frost whenever she turns her head; A black velvet coat and silver ruff make the dancer resemble a figure from a painted court; The poet uses the ruff’s elaborate folds to suggest pride, display, and restraint.
Additional Notes
A ruff is a stiff, pleated collar famously worn in Europe during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Its circular folds frame the face and may suggest status or ceremony. The term can also describe a flared neck frill on some animals.
Other Meanings of “Ruff”
Also Known As
Neck Ruff Frill Collar
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