Rouf
noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 The number four.
"The betting also began to shift. "Sixpence Ned wins!" cried three or four; "Sixpence he loses!" answered another; "Done!" and up went the halfpence. "Half-a-crown Joe loses!"—"Here you are," answered Joe, but he lost again. "I'll try you a 'gen'" (shilling) said a coster; "And a 'rouf yenap'" (fourpence), added the other. "Say a 'exes'" (sixpence).—"Done!" and the betting continued, till the ground was spotted with silver and halfpence."
- 2 The number four.; A prison sentence of four years. slang
- 3 The number four.; Four shillings. obsolete, slang
- 4 The number four.; Four pounds sterling. slang
"I don't want a cockle – I don't want a neuf – I don't want a fat lady or a nevis – I don't want an exis, a flim or a rouf – or a carpet or bottle – These green flip-flops are a phunt a pair! And they've all got to go!"
- 5 The number four.; Odds of four to one. slang
Example
More examples"The betting also began to shift. "Sixpence Ned wins!" cried three or four; "Sixpence he loses!" answered another; "Done!" and up went the halfpence. "Half-a-crown Joe loses!"—"Here you are," answered Joe, but he lost again. "I'll try you a 'gen'" (shilling) said a coster; "And a 'rouf yenap'" (fourpence), added the other. "Say a 'exes'" (sixpence).—"Done!" and the betting continued, till the ground was spotted with silver and halfpence."
Etymology
Backslang for four.
Related phrases
More for "rouf"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.