Emily Dickinson Lexicon

ruffle (-s), v. [Origin obscure, similar to Late Ger. ruffelenk, to crumple and ON hrufla, to scratch.]

Discompose; disturb; agitate; threaten to end a calm state of mind; [word play] cover with lacy white edges.

ruffled, verbal adj. [see ruffle, v.]

Frilly; ornamented.

rugged, adj. [prob. < Norw. rugga or Sw. rugg, ruffled or coarse hair.]

Rough; full of asperities on the surface; broken into sharp or irregular points or crags, or otherwise uneven, as, a rugged mountain; a rugged road.

ruin, n. [OFr ruyne < L. ruěre, to fall.]

1. The cause of destruction.
2. Destruction; fall; overthrow; defeat; that change of anything which destroys it, or extremely defeats its object, or unfits it for use.

rule, n. [OFr riule < L. rēgula, straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern.]

1. That which is established as a principle, standard or directory; that by which anything is to be adjusted or regulated, or to which it is to be conformed.
2. In arithmetic and algebra, a determinate mode prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result.

rule (-s), v. [OFr riuler < L. rēgulāre, to regulate.]

To govern the movements of things; to conduct; to manage; to control.

ruler, n. [see rule, v.]

One that governs, whether emperor, king, pope or governor; any one that exercises supreme power over others.

rum, n. [Origin obscure.]

Spirit distilled from cane juice; or the scummings of the juice from the boiling – house, or from the treacle or melasses which drains from sugar, or from dunder, the lees of former distillations.

rumble (-s), v. [ME romblen, onomatopoetic origin.]

To make a low, heavy continued sound; as thunder rumbles at a distance, but when near, its sound is sharp and rattling.

rumor (-'s), n. [OFr < L. 'noise, din.']

1. Flying or popular report; a current story passing from one person to another, without any known authority for the truth of it.
2. One who disseminates rumors.