Ruffles

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A gathered or pleated strip of fabric used as decoration on clothing or textiles ; to disturb the smoothness or order of something, causing it to become disorganized or uneven ; to touch or flap feathers or a surface lightly, often in a fluttering manner
2. A frilled or pleated decorative trim on garments ; to cause disruption or disorder, typically by upsetting or messing up something ; to flutter or lightly brush feathers, creating a slight movement
3. A fabric edge made by gathering material into neat folds for decoration ; to disturb or mess up the arrangement or position of objects ; to lightly stroke or flap feathers, producing small movements

Etymology: "Ruffles" is the plural of "ruffle," a verb and noun whose history is murkier than its tidy meanings suggest. It first appears in Middle English as "ruffelen," and scholars have proposed two possible sources. One candidate is Old Norse "hrufla," meaning "to graze" or "scratch," which would connect the word to rough, abrasive contact. The other is Middle Low German "ruffelen," meaning "to wrinkle" or "curl," which fits the gathered, puckered look of the decorative fabric edge. The Middle Dutch "ruyffelen" and modern Low German "ruffeln" point in the same direction, but the ultimate origin remains unknown. The word shares a family with "ruff," the stiff, pleated collar fashionable in the sixteenth century. The two words are related, and the Middle English verb may have helped shape the sense of pleating and gathering that made the ruff so distinctive.

Synonyms: frills, pleats, flounces, gathers, flares

Antonyms: smooths, flatens, stretches, extends, straightens