Ruffle \Ruf"fle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ruffled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ruffling}.] [From {Ruff} a plaited collar, a drum beat, a tumult: cf. OD. ruyffelen to wrinkle.] 1. To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
2. To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
3. To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion.
The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile. --I. Taylor.
She smoothed the ruffled seas. --Dryden.
4. To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
[the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume. --Tennyson.
5. (Mil.) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
6. To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.
These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind. --Sir W. Hamilton.
But, ever after, the small violence done Rankled in him and ruffled all his heart. --Tennyson.
7. To throw into disorder or confusion.
Where best He might the ruffled foe infest. --Hudibras.
8. To throw together in a disorderly manner. [R.]
I ruffled up falen leaves in heap. --Chapman
{To ruffle the feathers of}, to exite the resentment of; to irritate.
Leverage isn't the only U.S. technique ruffling Europe's feathers.
As the 1992 programme says, 'an efficient early-warning system will be particularly important to avoid ruffling national feathers as a new era dawns for Europe'.
But the would-be happy warrior has become a disillusioned, despairing survivor: "Although I was tired to death, I could not sleep, so removing my tin hat and ruffling my hair I stood up and looked over the front of my hole.