ruffle

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A strip of frilled or closely pleated fabric used for trimming or decoration.
2. n. A ruff on a bird.
3. n. A ruckus or fray.
4. n. Annoyance; vexation.
5. n. An irregularity or a slight disturbance of a surface.
6. v. To disturb the smoothness or regularity of; ripple.
7. v. To pleat or gather (fabric) into a ruffle.
8. v. To erect (the feathers). Used of birds.
9. v. To discompose; fluster: a book that is bound to ruffle some people.
10. v. To flip through (the pages of a book).
11. v. To shuffle (cards).
12. v. To become irregular or rough.
13. v. To flutter.
14. v. To become flustered.
15. n. A low continuous beating of a drum that is not as loud as a roll. Also called ruff⁴.
16. v. To beat a ruffle on (a drum).
17. v. To behave arrogantly or roughly; swagger.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A strip of any textile material drawn up at one edge in gathers or plaits, and used as a bordering or trimming; a full, narrow flounce; a frill; a ruff. The term is used for such a plaited strip when much narrower than a ruff, even when worn around the neck, but it especially applies to the wrist and to the front of the shirt-bosom, as in men's dress of the early part of the eighteenth century.
2. n. Something resembling a ruffle in form or position. The top of a boot.
3. n. In ornithology, same as ruff, 2 .
4. n. The string of egg-capsules of the periwinkles, whelks, and related gastropods.
5. n. In mech., a series of projections, often connected by a web, formed on the inner face of a flange of a metal gudgeon for a wooden shaft or roller, and fitted to a corresponding series of recesses in the end of such shaft or roller, to secure a rigid attachment of the flange and prevent its turning except as the shaft or roller turns with it.
6. n. Disquietude or discomposure, as of the mind or temper; annoyance; irritation.
7. To act turbulently or lawlessly; riot; play the bully; hence, to bluster.
8. To put on airs; swagger: often with an indefinite it.
9. To be rough or boisterous: said of the weather.
10. To bully; insult; annoy.
11. n. A brawl; a quarrel; a tumult.
12. n. Milit., a low vibrating beat of the drum, less loud than the roll, and used on certain occasions as a mark of respect.
13. To beat the ruffle on: as, to ruffle a drum.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
2. n. disturbance; agitation; commotion
3. n. military A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff.
4. n. zoology The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.
5. v. transitive To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.
6. v. transitive To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
2. v. To furnish with ruffles.
3. v. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion.
4. v. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
5. v. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
6. v. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.
7. v. To throw into disorder or confusion.
8. v. rare To throw together in a disorderly manner.
9. v. rare To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
10. v. To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
11. v. To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
12. n. 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.
13. n. A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion.
14. n. (Mil.) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; -- called also ruff.
15. n. (Zoöl.) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oöthecæ, of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Oötheca.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
2. v. disturb the smoothness of
3. v. mix so as to make a random order or arrangement
4. v. pleat or gather into a ruffle
5. n. a high tight collar
6. v. discompose.
7. n. a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
8. v. stir up (water) so as to form ripples
9. v. twitch or flutter
10. v. erect or fluff up
11. v. trouble or vex
12. n. a noisy fight