ruffle vs strut

ruffle

noun
  • A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff. 

  • Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration. 

  • Disturbance; agitation; commotion. 

  • The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. 

verb
  • To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter. 

  • To erect in a ruff, as feathers. 

  • To throw together in a disorderly manner. 

  • To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum. 

  • To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter. 

  • To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger. 

  • To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. 

  • To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle. 

  • To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric. 

strut

noun
  • An instrument for adjusting the pleats of a ruff. 

  • A beam or rod providing support. 

  • An act of strutting (“bracing or supporting (something) by a strut or struts (sense 1); attaching diagonally; bending at a sharp angle”); specifically, deviation (of the spoke of a wheel) from the normal position. 

  • A step or walk done stiffly and with the head held high, often due to haughtiness or pride; affected dignity in walking. 

verb
  • Of a peacock or other fowl: to stand or walk stiffly, with the tail erect and spread out. 

  • To walk across or on (a stage or other place) haughtily or proudly. 

  • To walk haughtily or proudly with one's head held high. 

  • To brace or support (something) by a strut or struts; to hold (something) in place or strengthen by a diagonal, transverse, or upright support. 

  • To be attached diagonally or at a slant; also, to be bent at a sharp angle. 

How often have the words ruffle and strut occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )