gruff

adj

Etymology: Perhaps related to Dutch grof (“rough, coarse”).

1. Of goods: bulky.

   “[…] articles that usually compose the gruff cargoes of our outward bound shipping.”

   “[…] which by causing a great export of rice enhances the price of labour, and consequently of all other gruff, piece-goods and raw silk […]”

noun

1. Alternative spelling of grough (“gully in a moor”).

   “[…] Yorkshire and Derbyshire, where [...] the ordinary sportsman has to go "gruffing," as it is called, to game game, i. e., stealing up the "gruffs" or gullies and undulations in the ground, and trying all the clumps of long old twisted heather and broken bogs. […] the open places on the moor, and thus driving the birds forward to deep lying bogs and "gruffs" […]”

   “They found Uttley's body on the bottom of the gruff.”

verb

Etymology: 16th century, from Dutch grof and/or Middle Low German grof (both “rough, coarse, rude”), from Old Dutch *grof or Old Saxon *grof, both from Proto-West Germanic *grob, from Proto-Germanic *grubaz (“coarse, rough”), possibly from an earlier *gahrubaz and then related with *hreubaz (“scabby, rough, scrubby”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian groaf (“rough, coarse, crude”), West Frisian grof (“rough, coarse, crude”), Low German groff (“rough, coarse, crude”), German grob (“rough, coarse, crude”), Swedish grov (“rough, coarse, crude”).

1. To speak gruffly.

   ““Who gave you that?” replied my father angrily. “Did you bribe someone?” “No,” I told him. “It was a gift, from some people who really want me to be on this trip.” “Fine,” he gruffed.”