April 23, 2008
Monday, 21st April 2008 : Today's Word is ...
Ruffian
Pronunciation : r�ffee-an
1. A tough or rowdy person
2. A thug or gangster
3. A person who treats others violently and roughly, especially for hire
4. A ruffian can be defined as a scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful and unreliable person
French, pimp, from Old French rufien, from Old Proven�al rufian, from Old Italian ruffiano.
hoodlum, mug, roughneck, rowdy, tough, bully, tough, hooligan, roughneck, yob, yobo, yobbo
Civilised, cultured
� The ruffian Woodley was a very different person, but, except on one occasion, he had not molested our client, and now he visited the house of Carruthers without intruding upon her presence.
� It was like a dream in which a man fancies that a ruffian is coming to attack him.
� ruffianism : Noun
� ruffianly : Adjective