neck ruff
Definition
Noun: A neck ruff is a high, stiff, and often elaborately pleated or frilled collar that stands up around the neck. It was a prominent fashion item in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Usage
The term neck ruff specifically refers to the historical garment. It is used to describe the collar itself, typically in contexts discussing historical fashion, portraiture, or costume design.
Examples
- Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I often show her wearing an elaborate neck ruff.
- The actor's costume for the Shakespearean play included a large, white neck ruff.
- Fashion in the late Renaissance was characterized by the extravagant neck ruff.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase "ruff and cuffs" is sometimes used to refer to matching sets of these starched linen or lace accessories, symbolizing formal or elaborate historical dress.
Variants and Related Words
- Ruff (noun): A shortened, more common form meaning the same as "neck ruff."
- Ruffled (adjective): Having frills or pleats, often describing a modern collar or trim that resembles a ruff in style.
- Gorget (noun): A related historical item; a piece of armor for the throat or a cloth band worn around the neck, sometimes under a ruff.
Synonyms
- Frill: A strip of material with many folds, used as decoration. (A more general term; a ruff is a specific type of frill worn at the neck.)
- Fraise: A specific type of ruff, often starched and pleated, worn in the 16th century.
- Whisk: A large, fan-shaped ruff worn in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Idioms
- To be in ruff: An archaic phrase meaning to be dressed formally or in one's best clothes, alluding to the formality of wearing a ruff. (This is historical and rarely used in modern English.)
Noun
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a high tight collar
