Meaning

noun a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim

noun a high tight collar

noun a noisy fight

originFrom Middle English ruffelen, perhaps from Old Norse hrufla (“to graze, scratch”) or Middle Low German ruffelen (“to wrinkle, curl”). Further origin unknown. Related to Middle Dutch ruyffelen, German Low German ruffeln. See English ruff.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0