See Also: gruff(dictionary)
gruff(dictionary)

gruff (iou)



gruff adjective & verb. L15.
[Flemish, Dutch grof coarse, rude = Middle Low German grof, Old High German, German grob, from West Germanic.]
A. adjective.
Coarse-grained; containing coarse particles. obsolete exc. Scot. L15.
b. Of an immaterial thing: rough, rude, unrefined. Scot. L17.
Rough, surly, or sour in manner or aspect; curt, awkwardly taciturn; (of speech or the voice) characterized by hoarse or guttural sounds. L17.
H. Read A gruff country man, not conscious of, and therefore not ashamed of, his provinciality. V. Woolf Speaking in the gruff voice of deep emotion. S. Raven Then a hearty handshake, a resumption of the usual gruff manner.
b. verb.
verb trans. Treat gruffly. Only in E18.
verb intrans. Grunt, snore. dial. M18.
verb trans. Say or utter gruffly. E20.
J. T. Farrell Young Horn said hello to him. He gruffed a reply.
gruffish adjective somewhat gruff E19.
gruffly adverb in a gruff manner, with a gruff voice E18.
gruffness noun L17.
gruffy adjective (obsolete exc. Scot.) gruff L18.