scruff

Think of a person who looks a little rough around the edges: that is the feel of scruff. The word first meant the back of the neck, especially the loose skin there on an animal. From that, it also came to mean short, unshaven hair on a man's face. In everyday use, it can also describe someone who looks messy or not very neat. A character in a story might have a bit of scruff on his chin and an untidy coat, which gives him a relaxed, slightly wild look.

The word often suggests casual roughness more than real dirtiness. Someone with scruff may look a little careless, but sometimes in a way that seems natural or even charming.

The word "scruff" first refers to the back of the neck, especially the loose skin there on an animal. That is why we say "by the scruff of the neck" when someone is seized or pushed into action in a very direct, forceful way. This is the oldest and most literal sense of the word.

In modern everyday English, "scruff" is also very common for short facial hair that has grown for a few days. It is the stage between a clean shave and a beard. In this sense, the word often carries a certain image: someone who looks casual, rugged, or a little untidy, but not necessarily unpleasant.

The word can also be used for a person who looks messy or poorly dressed, especially in British English, as in calling someone "a scruff." That use can sound insulting, but it is sometimes said lightly or with affection. So the word moves between literal and descriptive meanings: the back of the neck, a layer of stubble, or the general look of someone a bit rough and unpolished.