[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ruffian \ruf"fian\ ru^f"yan or ru^f"fi^an; 277, n. f.
   rufien, of. ruffien, ruffian, pimp, libertine, rake; cf. pr.
    sp. rufian, it. ruffiano; all perhaps of german or dutch
   origin; cf. g. raufen to pluck, scuffle, fight, od. roffen to
   pander. cf. ruffle to grow turbulent.
   1. a pimp; a pander; also, a paramour. obs.
      1913 webster

            he her husband is no sooner abroad than she is
            instantly at home, reveling with her ruffians. --bp.
                                                  reynolds.
      1913 webster

   2. a boisterous, cruel, brutal fellow; a desperate fellow
      ready for murderous or cruel deeds; a cutthroat.
      1913 webster

            wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian? --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. hence: a tough, lawless or bullying person.
      1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ruffian \ruf"fian\, a.
   brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous; as, ruffian
   rage.
   1913 webster

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

ruffian \ruf"fian\, v. i.
   to play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. r. --shak.
   1913 webster

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

ruffian
     n : a cruel and brutal fellow syn: bully, tough, hooligan,
          roughneck, rowdy, yob, yobo, yobbo
see also:
bully tough hooligan roughneck rowdy yob 
yobo yobbo 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

120 moby thesaurus words for "ruffian":
   babbitt, philistine, arriviste, bad boy, battler, belligerent,
   belted knight, bickerer, blade, booger, boor, bounder, bourgeois,
   bravo, brawler, bucko, buffoon, bugger, bully, bullyboy, cad,
   churl, clown, combatant, competitor, contender, contestant,
   cutthroat, cutup, desperado, devil, disputant, duelist, elf,
   enfant terrible, enforcer, epicier, fencer, feuder, fighter,
   fighting cock, foilsman, funmaker, gamecock, gladiator, goon,
   gorilla, groundling, gunman, guttersnipe, hatchet man, hell-raiser,
   hellcat, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, ill-bred fellow, imp, joker,
   jokester, jouster, killer, knave, knight, little devil,
   little monkey, little rascal, looby, lout, low fellow, mad dog,
   militant, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, mucker, nouveau riche,
   parvenu, peasant, pixie, plug-ugly, practical joker, prankster,
   puck, punk, quarreler, rapscallion, rascal, ribald, rioter, rival,
   rogue, rough, roughneck, rowdy, sabreur, scamp, scapegrace,
   scrapper, scuffler, squabbler, strong arm, strong-arm man,
   strong-armer, struggler, swashbuckler, sword, swordplayer,
   swordsman, thug, tilter, tough, tussler, upstart, vulgarian,
   vulgarist, wag, wrangler, yahoo, yokel

Ruffian >> R Words
Ruffian, definition of term: Ruffian
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