# ruffe

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Gymnocephalus cernua, a small Eurasian freshwater fish.
2. Other species in the same genus.

## Etymology
From Middle English ruff(e), roffe (“a saltwater fish, esp. of the family Sparidae; the freshwater fish Gymnocephalus cernua”), of uncertain origin. Theories include:
* Perhaps an alteration of rough, referring to its scales.
* Perhaps from Latin rufus (“red”), referring to the colour of some Sparidae fish.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ruffe