rufian

See also: rufián

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian ruffiano, roffia (“dirt”), from Old High German hrŭf (“eschar, crust”). Cognate with Icelandic hrufla (“to scratch”), English ruffle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁy.fjɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

rufian m (plural rufians)

1. ruffian (scoundrel, rascal)

Synonyms

• (pimp): maquereau

Further reading

• “rufian”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.