Chapter CCCLXIII: Prologue (14)

RARENESS Rare"ness, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being rare. And let the rareness the small gift commend. Dryden.

RARERIPE Rare"ripe`, a. Etym: [Rare early + ripe. Cf. Rathripe.]

Defn: Early ripe; ripe before others, or before the usual season.

RARERIPE Rare"ripe`, n.

Defn: An early ripening fruit, especially a kind of freestone peach.

RARIFICATION Rar`i*fi*ca"tion, n.

Defn: See Rarefaction. [R.] Am. Chem. Journal.

RARITY Rar"i*ty, n.; pl. Rarities. Etym: [L. raritas: cf. F. rareté. See Rare.]

1. The quality or state of being rare; rareness; thinness; as, the rarity (contrasted with the density) of gases.

2. That which is rare; an uncommon thing; a thing valued for its scarcity. I saw three rarities of different kinds, which pleased me more than any other shows in the place. Addison.

RAS Ras, n.

Defn: See 2d Reis.

RASANTE Ra`sante", a. Etym: [F., p. pr. of raser to graze.] (Fort.)

Defn: Sweeping; grazing; -- applied to a style of fortification in which the command of the works over each other, and over the country, is kept very low, in order that the shot may more effectually sweep or graze the ground before them. H. L. Scott.

RASCAL Ras"cal, n. Etym: [OE. rascaille rabble, probably from an OF. racaille, F. racaille the rabble, rubbish, probably akin to F. racler to scrape, (assumed) LL. rasiculare, rasicare, fr. L. radere, rasum. See Rase, v.]

1. One of the rabble; a low, common sort of person or creature; collectively, the rabble; the common herd; also, a lean, ill- conditioned beast, esp. a deer. [Obs.] He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the rascal. Wyclif (1 Kings [1 Samuel] vi. 19). Poor men alone No, no; the noblest deer hath them [horns] as huge as the rascal. Shak.

2. A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster. For I have sense to serve my turn in store, And he's a rascal who pretends to more. Dryden.

RASCAL Ras`cal, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low; mean; base. "The rascal many." Spencer. "The rascal people." Shak. While she called me rascal fiddler. Shak.

RASCALDOM Ras"cal*dom, n.

Defn: State of being a rascal; rascality; domain of rascals; rascals, collectively. Emerson.

RASCALESS Ras"cal*ess, n.

Defn: A female rascal. [Humorous]

RASCALITY Ras*cal`i*ty, n.; pl. Rascalities (

1. The quality or state of being rascally, or a rascal; mean trickishness or dishonesty; base fraud.

2. The poorer and lower classes of people.[Obs.] The chief heads of their clans with their several rascalities T. Jackson.

RASCALLION Ras*cal"lion, n. Etym: [From Rascal]

Defn: A low, mean wretch [Written also rascalion.]

RASCALLY Ras"cal*ly, a.

Defn: Like a rascal; trickish or dishonest; base; worthless; -- often in humorous disparagement, without implication of dishonesty. Our rascally porter is fallen fast asleep. Swift.

RASE Rase, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rased; p. pr. & vb. n. Rasing.] Etym: [F. raser, LL. rasare to scrape often, v. freq. fr. L. radere, rasum, to scrape, shave; cf. Skr. rad to scratch, gnaw, L. rodere to gnaw. Cf. Raze, Razee, Razor, Rodent.]

1. To rub along the surface of; to graze.[Obsoles.] Was he not in the . . . neighborhood to death and might not the bullet which rased his cheek have gone into his head South. Sometimes his feet rased the surface of water, and at others the skylight almost flattened his nose. Beckford.

2. To rub or scratch out; to erase. [Obsoles.] Except we rase the faculty of memory, root and branch, out of our mind. Fuller.

3. To level with the ground; to overthrow; to destroy; to raze. [In this sense rase is generally used.] Till Troy were by their brave hands rased, They would not turn home. Chapman.

Note: This word, rase, may be considered as nearly obsolete; graze, erase, and raze, having superseded it. Rasing iron, a tool for removing old oakum and pitch from the seams of a vessel.

Syn. -- To erase; efface; obliterate; expunge; cancel; level; prostrate; overthrow; subvert; destroy; demolish; ruin.

RASE Rase, v. i.

Defn: To be leveled with the ground; to fall; to suffer overthrow. [Obs.]

RASE Rase, n.

1. A scratching out, or erasure. [Obs.]

2. A slight wound; a scratch. [Obs.] Hooker.

3. (O. Eng. Law)

Defn: A way of measuring in which the commodity measured was made even with the top of the measuring vessel by rasing, or striking off, all that was above it. Burrill.

RASH Rash, v. t. Etym: [For arace]

1. To pull off or pluck violently. [Obs.]

2. To slash; to hack; to slice. [Obs.] Rushing of helms and riving plates asunder. Spenser.

RASH Rash, n. Etym: [OF. rashe an eruption, scurf, F. rache; fr. (assumed) LL. rasicare to scratch, fr. L. radere, rasum, to scrape, scratch, shave. See Rase, and cf. Rascal.] (Med.)

Defn: A fine eruption or efflorescence on the body, with little or no elevation. Canker rash. See in the Vocabulary. -- Nettle rash. See Urticaria. -- Rose rash. See Roseola. -- Tooth rash. See Red-gum.

RASH Rash, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ras short-nap cloth, It. & Sp. raso satin (cf. Rase); or cf. It. rascia serge, G. rasch, probably fr. Arras in France (cf. Arras).]

Defn: An inferior kind of silk, or mixture of silk and worsted. [Obs.] Donne.

RASH Rash, a. [Compar. Rasher; superl. Rashest.] Etym: [Probably of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. & Sw. rask quick, brisk, rash, Icel. röskr vigorous, brave, akin to D. & G. rasch quick, of uncertain origin.]

1. Sudden in action; quick; hasty. [Obs.] "Strong as aconitum or rash gunpowder." Shak.

2. Requiring sudden action; pressing; urgent. [Obs.] I scarce have leisure to salute you, My matter is so rash. Shak.

3. Esp., overhasty in counsel or action; precipitate; resolving or entering on a project or measure without due deliberation and caution; opposed to prudent; said of persons; as, a rash statesman or commander.

4. Uttered or undertaken with too much haste or too little reflection; as, rash words; rash measures.

5. So dry as to fall out of the ear with handling, as corn. [Prov. Eng.]

Syn. -- Precipitate; headlong; headstrong; foolhardy; hasty; indiscreet; heedless; thoughtless; incautious; careless; inconsiderate; unwary. -- Rash, Adventurous, Foolhardy. A man is adventurous who incurs risk or hazard from a love of the arduous and the bold. A man is rash who does it from the mere impulse of his feelings, without counting the cost. A man is foolhardy who throws himself into danger in disregard or defiance of the consequences. Was never known a more adventurous knight. Dryden. Her rush hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat. Milton. If any yet to be foolhardy To expose themselves to vain jeopardy; If they come wounded off, and lame, No honors got by such a maim. Hudibras.

RASH Rash, v. t.

Defn: To prepare with haste. [Obs.] Foxe.

RASHER Rash"er, n. Etym: [In sense 1, probably fr. rash, a., as being hastily cooked.]

1. A thin slice of bacon.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A California rockfish (Sebastichthys miniatus).

RASHFUL Rash"ful, a.

Defn: Rash; hasty; precipitate. [Obs.]

RASHLING Rash"ling, n.

Defn: A rash person. [Obs.]

RASHLY Rash"ly, adv.

Defn: In a rush manner; with precipitation. He that doth anything rashly, must do it willingly; for he was free to deliberate or not. L'Estrange.

RASHNESS Rash"ness, n.

Defn: The quality of state of being rash. We offend . . . by rashness, which is an affirming or denying, before we have sufficiently informed ourselves. South.

Syn. -- Temerity; foolhardiness; precipitancy; precipitation; hastiness; indiscretion; heedlessness; inconsideration; carelessness. See Temerity.

RASKOLNIK Ras*kol"nik, n. Etym: [Russ. rascolenik' schismatic, heretic.] (Eccl.)

Defn: One of the separatists or dissenters from the established or Greek church in Russia. [Written also rascolnik.]

RASORES Ra*so`res, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. radere, rasum, to scratch. See Rase, v. t.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of birds; the Gallinæ.

Note: Formely, the word Rasores was used in a wider sense, so as to include other birds now widely separated in classification.

RASORIAL Ra*so"ri*al, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Rasores, or gallinaceous birds, as the peacock, domestic fowl, patridge, and the like.

RASOUR Ra"sour, n.

Defn: Rasor. [Obs.] Chaucer.

RASP Rasp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rasped; p. pr. & vb. n. Rasping.] Etym: [OF. rasper, F. râper, to scrape, grate, rasp, fr. OHG. raspon to scrape together, to collect, probably akin to E. rap. Cf. Rap to snatch.]

1. To rub or file with a rasp; to rub or grate with a rough file; as, to rasp wood to make it smooth; to rasp bones to powder.

2. Hence, figuratively: To grate harshly upon; to offend by coarse or rough treatment or language; as, some sounds rasp the ear; his insults rasped my temper.

RASP Rasp, n. Etym: [OE. raspe, OF. raspe, F. râpe. See Rasp, v.]

1. A coarse file, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.

2. The raspberry. [Obs.] "Set sorrel amongst rasps, and the rasps will be smaller." Bacon. Rasp palm (Bot.), a Brazilian palm tree (Iriartea exorhiza) which has strong aërial roots like a screw pine. The roots have a hard, rough surface, and are used by the natives for graters and rasps, whence the common name.

RASPATORIUM Ras`pa*to"ri*um, n. Etym: [LL.]

Defn: See Raspatory.

RASPATORY Rasp"a*to*ry, n. Etym: [LL. raspatorium: cf. F. raspatoir. See Rasp, v.]

Defn: A surgeon's rasp. Wiseman.

RASPBERRY Rasp"ber*ry, n, Etym: [From E. rasp, in allusion to the apparent roughness of the fruit.] (Bot.) (a) The thimble-shaped fruit of the Rubus Idæus and other similar brambles; as, the black, the red and the white raspberry. (b) The shrub bearing this fruit.

Note: Technically, raspberries are those brambles in which the fruit separates readily from the core or receptacle, in this differing from the blackberries, in which the fruit is firmly attached to the receptacle.

RASPER Rasp"er, n.

Defn: One who, or which, rasps; a scraper.

RASPIS Ras"pis, n.

Defn: The raspberry. [Obs.] Langham.

RASPY Rasp"y, a.

Defn: Like a rasp, or the sound made by a rasp; grating. R. D. Blackmore.

RASSE Rasse, n. Etym: [Cf. Malay rasa taste, sensation.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A carnivore (Viverricula Mallaccensis) allied to the civet but smaller, native of China and the East Indies. It furnishes a perfume resembling that of the civet, which is highly prized by the Javanese. Called also Malacca weasel, and lesser civet.

RASURE Ra"sure, n. Etym: [L. rasura, fr. radere, rasum, to scrape, to shave. See Rase, v.]

1. The act of rasing, scraping, or erasing; erasure; obliteration.

2. A mark by which a letter, word, or any part of a writing or print, is erased, effaced, or obliterated; an erasure. Ayliffe.

RAT Rat, n. Etym: [AS. ræt; akin to D. rat, OHG. rato, ratta, G. ratte, ratze, OLG. ratta, LG. & Dan. rotte, Sw. råtta, F. rat, Ir. & Gael radan, Armor. raz, of unknown origin. Cf. Raccoon.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the several species of small rodents of the genus Mus and allied genera, larger than mice, that infest houses, stores, and ships, especially the Norway, or brown, rat (M. Alexandrinus). These were introduced into Anerica from the Old World.

2. A round and tapering mass of hair, or similar material, used by women to support the puffs and rolls of their natural hair. [Local, U.S.]

3. One who deserts his party or associates; hence, in the trades, one who works for lower wages than those prescribed by a trades union. [Cant]

Note: "It so chanced that, not long after the accession of the house of Hanover, some of the brown, that is the German or Norway, rats, were first brought over to this country (in some timber as is said); and being much stronger than the black, or, till then, the common, rats, they in many places quite extirpated the latter. The word (both the noun and the verb to rat) was first, as we have seen, leveled at the converts to the government of George the First, but has by degrees obtained a wide meaning, and come to be applied to any sudden and mercenary change in politics." Lord Mahon. Bamboo rat (Zoöl.), any Indian rodent of the genus Rhizomys. -- Beaver rat, Coast rat. (Zoöl.) See under Beaver and Coast. -- Blind rat (Zoöl.), the mole rat. -- Cotton rat (Zoöl.), a long-haired rat (Sigmodon hispidus), native of the Southern United States and Mexico. It makes its nest of cotton and is often injurious to the crop. -- Ground rat. See Ground Pig, under Ground. -- Hedgehog rat. See under Hedgehog. -- Kangaroo rat (Zoöl.), the potoroo. -- Norway rat (Zoöl.), the common brown rat. See Rat. -- Pouched rat. (Zoöl.) (a) See Pocket Gopher, under Pocket. (b) Any African rodent of the genus Cricetomys. Rat Indians (Ethnol.), a tribe of Indians dwelling near Fort Ukon, Alaska. They belong to Athabascan stock. -- Rat mole. (Zoöl.) See Mole rat, under Mole. -- Rat pit, an inclosed space into which rats are put to be killed by a dog for sport. -- Rat snake (Zoöl.), a large colubrine snake (Ptyas mucosus) very common in India and Ceylon. It enters dwellings, and destroys rats, chickens, etc. -- Spiny rat (Zoöl.), any South America rodent of the genus Echinomys. -- To smell a rat. See under Smell. -- Wood rat (Zoöl.), any American rat of the genus Neotoma, especially N. Floridana, common in the Southern United States. Its feet and belly are white.

RAT Rat, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ratted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ratting.]

1. In English politics, to desert one's party from interested motives; to forsake one's associates for one's own advantage; in the trades, to work for less wages, or on other conditions, than those established by a trades union. Coleridge . . . incurred the reproach of having ratted, solely by his inability to follow the friends of his early days. De Quincey.

2. To catch or kill rats.

RATA Ra"ta, n. Etym: [Maori.] (Bot.)

Defn: A New Zealand forest tree (Metrosideros robusta), also, its hard dark red wood, used by the Maoris for paddles and war clubs.

RATABILITY Rat`a*bil"i*ty, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being ratable.

RATABLE Rat"a*ble, a.

1. Capable of being rated, or set at a certain value. Twenty oræ were ratable to [at] two marks of silver. Camden.

2. Liable to, or subjected by law to, taxation; as, ratable estate.

3. Made at a proportionate rate; as, ratable payments. -- Rat"a*ble*ness, n. -- Rat"a*bly, adv.

RATAFIA Rat`a*fi"a, n. Etym: [F., fr. Malay arak arrack + tafia a spirit distilled from molasses.]

Defn: A spirituous liquor flavored with the kernels of cherries, apricots, peaches, or other fruit, spiced, and sweetened with sugar; -- a term applied to the liqueurs called noyau, curaçao, etc. [Written also ratifia and ratafee.]

RATAN Ra*tan", n.

Defn: See Rattan.

RATANY Rat"a*ny, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Rhatany.

RATAPLAN Ra`ta`plan", n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: The iterative sound of beating a drum, or of a galloping horse.

RATCH Ratch, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Rotche.

RATCH Ratch, n. Etym: [See Rack the instrument, Ratchet.]

Defn: A ratchet wheel, or notched bar, with which a pawl or chick works.

RATCHEL Ratch"el, n.

Defn: Gravelly stone. [Prov. Eng.]

RATCHET Ratch"et, n. Etym: [Properly a diminutive from the same word as rack: cf. F. rochet. See 2d Ratch, Rack the instrument.]

1. A pawl, click, or detent, for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc.

2. A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch, and pawl. See Ratchet wheel, below, and 2d Ratch. Ratchet brace (Mech.), a boring brace, having a ratchet wheel and pawl for rotating the tool by back and forth movements of the brace handle. -- Ratchet drill, a portable machine for working a drill by hand, consisting of a hand lever carrying at one end a drill holder which is revolved by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl, by swinging the lever back and forth. -- Ratchet wheel (Mach.), a circular wheel having teeth, usually angular, with which a reciprocating pawl engages to turn the wheel forward, or a stationary pawl to hold it from turning backward.

Note: In the cut, the moving pawl c slides over the teeth in one direction, but in returning, draws the wheel with it, while the pawl d prevents it from turning in the contrary direction.

RATE Rate, v. t. & i. Etym: [Perh. fr. E. rate, v. t., to value at a certain rate, to estimate, but more prob. fr. Sw. rata to find fault, to blame, to despise, to hold cheap; cf. Icel. hrat refuse, hrati rubbish.]

Defn: To chide with vehemence; to scold; to censure violently. Spencer. Go, rate thy minions, proud, insulting boy! Shak. Conscience is a check to beginners in sin, reclaiming them from it, and rating them for it. Barrow.

RATE Rate, n. Etym: [OF., fr. L. rata (sc. pars), fr. ratus reckoned, fixed by calculation, p. p. of reri to reckon, to calculate. Cf. Reason.]

1. Established portion or measure; fixed allowance. The one right feeble through the evil rate, Of food which in her duress she had found. Spenser.

2. That which is established as a measure or criterion; degree; standard; rank; proportion; ratio; as, a slow rate of movement; rate of interest is the ratio of the interest to the principal, per annum. Heretofore the rate and standard of wit was different from what it is nowadays. South. In this did his holiness and godliness appear above the rate and pitch of other men's, in that he was so . . . merciful. Calamy. Many of the horse could not march at that rate, nor come up soon enough. Clarendon.

3. Variation; prise fixed with relation to a standard; cost; charge; as, high or low rates of transportation. They come at dear rates from Japan. Locke.

4. A tax or sum assessed by authority on property for public use, according to its income or value; esp., in England, a local tax; as, parish rates; town rates.

5. Order; arrangement. [Obs.] Thus sat they all around in seemly rate. Spenser.

6. Ratification; approval. [R.] Chapman.

7. (Horol.)

Defn: The gain or loss of a timepiece in a unit of time; as, daily rate; hourly rate; etc.

8. (Naut.) (a) The order or class to which a war vessel belongs, determined according to its size, armament, etc.; as, first rate, second rate, etc. (b) The class of a merchant vessel for marine insurance, determined by its relative safety as a risk, as A1, A2, etc.

RATE Rate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rated; p. pr. & vb. n. Rating.]

1. To set a certain estimate on; to value at a certain price or degree. To rate a man by the nature of his companions is a rule frequent indeed, but not infallible. South. You seem not high enough your joys to rate. Dryden.

2. To assess for the payment of a rate or tax.

3. To settle the relative scale, rank, position, amount, value, or quality of; as, to rate a ship; to rate a seaman; to rate a pension.

4. To ratify. [Obs.] "To rate the truce." Chapman. To rate a chronometer, to ascertain the exact rate of its gain or loss as compared with true time, so as to make an allowance or computation depended thereon.

Syn. -- To value; appraise; estimate; reckon.

RATE Rate, v. i.

1. To be set or considered in a class; to have rank; as, the ship rates as a ship of the line.

2. To make an estimate.

RATEABLE Rate"a*ble, a.

Defn: See Ratable.

RATEL Ra"tel, n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any carnivore of the genus Mellivora, allied to the weasels and the skunks; -- called also honey badger.

Note: Several species are known in Africa and India. The Cape ratel (M. Capensis) and the Indian ratel (M. Indica) are the best known. The back is gray; the lower parts, face, and tail are black. They are fond of honey, and rob the nests of wild bees.

RATEPAYER Rate"pay`er, n.

Defn: One who pays rates or taxes.

RATER Rat"er, n.

Defn: One who rates or estimates.

RATER Rat"er, n.

Defn: One who rates or scolds.

RATFISH Rat"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Rat-tail.

RATH Rath, n. Etym: [Ir. rath.]

1. A hill or mound. [Ireland] Spencer.

2. A kind of ancient fortification found in Ireland.

RATH; RATHE Rath, Rathe, a. Etym: [AS. hræ\'eb, hræd, quick, akin to OHG. hrad, Icel. hrathr.]

Defn: Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. [Obs. or Poetic] Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies. Milton.

RATH; RATHE Rath, Rathe, adv.

Defn: Early; soon; betimes. [Obs. or Poetic] Why rise ye up so rathe Chaucer. Too rathe cut off by practice criminal. Spencer.

RATHER Rath"er, a. Etym: [Compar. of Rath, a.]

Defn: Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.] Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. Sir J. Mandeville.

RATHER Rath"er, adv. Etym: [AS. hrathor, compar. of hrathe, hræ\'ebe, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a.]

1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.] Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. Chaucer. A good mean to come the rather to grace. Foxe.

2. More readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. Job vii. 15.

3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26.

4. Of two alternatives conceived of, by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat. He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain, And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain. Dryden.

5. More properly; more correctly speaking. This is an art Which does mend nature, change it rather, but The art itself is nature. Shak.

6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the house is rather damp. The rather, the more so; especially; for better reason; for particular cause. You are come to me in happy time, The rather for I have some sport in hand. Shak. -- Had rather, or Would rather, prefer to; prefers to; as, he had, or would, rather go than stay. "I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousands words in an unknown tongue." 1 Cor. xiv. 19. See Had rather, under Had.

RATHRIPE Rath"ripe`, a.

Defn: Rareripe, or early ripe. -- n.

Defn: A rareripe. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Such who delight in rathripe fruits. Fuller.

RATHSKELLER Raths"kel`ler (räts"kel*ler), n. [G., also ratskeller, prop., town- hall cellar.]

Defn: Orig., in Germany, the cellar or basement of the city hall, usually rented for use as a restaurant where beer is sold; hence, a beer saloon of the German type below the street level, where, usually, drinks are served only at tables and simple food may also be had; -- sometimes loosely used, in English, of what are essentially basement restaurants where liquors are served.

RATIFICATION Rat`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ratification.]

Defn: The act of ratifying; the state of being ratified; confirmation; sanction; as, the ratification of a treaty.

RATIFIER Rat"i*fi`er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, ratifies; a confirmer. Shak.

RATIFY Rat"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ratified; p. pr. & vb. n. Ratifying.] Etym: [F. ratifier, fr. L. ratus fixed by calculation, firm, valid + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Rate, n., and -fy.]

Defn: To approve and sanction; to make valid; to establish; to settle; especially, to give sanction to, as something done by an agent or servant; as, to ratify an agreement, treaty, or contract; to ratify a nomination. It is impossible for the divine power to set a seal to a lie by ratifying an imposture with such a miracle. South.

RATIHABITION Rat`i*ha*bi"tion, n. Etym: [L. ratihabitio; ratus fixed, valid + habere to hold.]

Defn: Confirmation or approbation, as of an act or contract. [Obs.] Jer. Tailor.

RATIO Ra"ti*o, n. Etym: [L., fr. reri, ratus, to reckon, believe, think, judge. See Reason.]

1. (Math.)

Defn: The relation which one quantity or magnitude has to another of the same kind. It is expressed by the quotient of the division of the first by the second; thus, the ratio of 3 to 6 is expressed by a to b by a/b; or (less commonly) the second is made the dividend; as, a:b = b/a.

Note: Some writers consider ratio as the quotient itself, making ratio equivalent to a number. The term ratio is also sometimes applied to the difference of two quantities as well as to their quotient, in which case the former is called arithmetical ratio, the latter, geometrical ratio. The name ratio is sometimes given to the rule of three in arithmetic. See under Rule.

2. Hence, fixed relation of number, quantity, or degree; rate; proportion; as, the ratio of representation in Congress. Compound ratio, Duplicate ratio, Inverse ratio, etc. See under Compound, Duplicate, etc. -- Ratio of a geometrical progression, the constant quantity by which each term is multiplied to produce the succeeding one.

RATIOCINATE Ra`ti*oc"i*nate, v. i. Etym: [L. ratiocinatus, p. p. of ratiocinari, fr. ratio reason. See Ratio.]

Defn: To reason, esp. deductively; to offer reason or argument.

RATIOCINATION Ra`ti*oc"i*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. ratiocinatio: cf. F. ratiocination.]

Defn: The process of reasoning, or deducing conclusions from premises; deductive reasoning.

RATIOCINATIVE Ra`ti*oc"i*na*tive, a. Etym: [L. ratiocinativus.]

Defn: Characterized by, or addicted to, ratiocination; consisting in the comparison of proportions or facts, and the deduction of inferences from the comparison; argumentative; as, a ratiocinative process. The ratiocinative meditativeness of his character. Coleridge.

RATIOCINATORY Ra`ti*oc"i*na*to*ry, a.

Defn: Ratiocinative. [R.]

RATION Ra"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. ratio a reckoning, calculation, relation, reference, LL. ratio ration. See Ratio.]

1. A fixed daily allowance of provisions assigned to a soldier in the army, or a sailor in the navy, for his subsistence.

Note: Officers have several rations, the number varying according to their rank or the number of their attendants.

2. Hence, a certain portion or fixed amount dealt out; an allowance; an allotment.

RATION Ra"tion, v. t.

Defn: To supply with rations, as a regiment.

RATIONAL Ra"tion*al, a. Etym: [L. rationalis: cf. F. rationnel. See Ratio, Reason, and cf. Rationale.]

1. Relating to reason; not physical; mental. Moral philosophy was his chiefest end; for the rational, the natural, and mathematics . . . were but simple pastimes in comparison of the other. Sir T. North.

2. Having reason, or the faculty of reasoning; endowed with reason or understanding; reasoning. It is our glory and happiness to have a rational nature. Law.

3. Agreeable to reason; not absurd, preposterous, extravagant, foolish, fanciful, or the like; wise; judicious; as, rational conduct; a rational man.

4. (Chem.)

Defn: Expressing the type, structure, relations, and reactions of a compound; graphic; -- said of formulæ. See under Formula. Rational horizon. (Astron.) See Horizon, 2 (b). -- Rational quantity (Alg. ), one that can be expressed without the use of a radical sign, or in extract parts of unity; -- opposed to irrational or radical quantity. -- Rational symptom (Med.), one elicited by the statements of the patient himself and not as the result of a physical examination.

Syn. -- Sane; sound; intelligent; reasonable; sensible; wise; discreet; judicious. -- Rational, reasonable. Rational has reference to reason as a faculty of the mind, and is opposed to traditional; as, a rational being, a rational state of mind, rational views, etc. In these cases the speculative reason is more particularly, referred to. Reasonable has reference to the exercise of this faculty for practical purposes, and means, governed or directed by reason; as, reasonable prospect of success. What higher in her society thou find'st Attractive, human, rational, love still. Milton. A law may be reasonable in itself, although a man does not allow it, or does not know the reason of the lawgivers. Swift.

RATIONAL Ra"tion*al, n.

Defn: A rational being. Young.

RATIONALE Ra`tion*a"le, n. Etym: [L. rationalis, neut. rationale. See Rational, a.]

Defn: An explanation or exposition of the principles of some opinion, action, hypothesis, phenomenon, or like; also, the principles themselves.

RATIONALISM Ra"tion*al*ism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. rationalisme.]

1. (Theol.)

Defn: The doctrine or system of those who deduce their religious opinions from reason or the understanding, as distinct from, or opposed to, revelation.

2. (Philos.)

Defn: The system that makes rational power the ultimate test of truth; -- opposed to sensualism, or sensationalism, and empiricism. Fleming.

RATIONALIST Ra"tion*al*ist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. rationaliste.]

Defn: One who accepts rationalism as a theory or system; also, disparagingly, a false reasoner. See Citation under Reasonist.

RATIONALISTIC; RATIONALISTICAL Ra`tion*al*is"tic, Ra`tion*al*is"tic*al a.

Defn: Belonging to, or in accordance with, the principles of rationalism. -- Ra`tion*al*is"tic*al*ly, adv.

RATIONALITY Ra`tion*al"i*ty, n.; pl. -ties. Etym: [F. rationalité, or L. rationalitas.]

Defn: The quality or state of being rational; agreement with reason; possession of reason; due exercise of reason; reasonableness. When God has made rationality the common portion of mankind, how came it to be thy inclosure Gov. of Tongue. Well-directed intentions, whose rationalities will never bear a rigid examination. Sir T. Browne.

RATIONALIZATION Ra`tion*al*i*za"tion, n.

Defn: The act or process of rationalizing.

RATIONALIZE Ra"tion*al*ize, v. t.

1. To make rational; also, to convert to rationalism.

2. To interpret in the manner of a rationalist.

3. To form a rational conception of.

4. (Alg.)

Defn: To render rational; to free from radical signs or quantities.

RATIONALIZE Ra"tion*al*ize, v. i.

Defn: To use, and rely on, reason in forming a theory, belief, etc., especially in matters of religion: to accord with the principles of rationalism. Theodore . . . is just considered the chief rationalizing doctor of antiquity. J. H. Newman.

RATIONALLY Ra"tion*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a rational manner.

RATIONALNESS Ra"tion*al*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being rational; rationality.

RATITAE Ra*ti"tæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. ratis a raft; cf. L. ratitus marked with the figure of a raft.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of birds in which the wings are small, rudimentary, or absent, and the breastbone is destitute of a keel. The ostrich, emu, and apteryx are examples.

RATITATE Rat"i*tate, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Ratitæ.

RATITE Rat"ite, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Ratitæ. -- n.

Defn: One of the Ratitæ.

RATLINES; RATLINS Rat"lines, rat"lins, n. pl. Etym: [Of uncertain origin.] (Naut.)

Defn: The small transverse ropes attached to the shrouds and forming the steps of a rope ladder. [Written also ratlings, and rattlings.] Totten.

RATON Rat"on, n. Etym: [Cf. Raccoon.]

Defn: A small rat. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

RATOON Ra*toon", n.

1. Same as Rattoon, n.

2. A rattan cane. [Obs.] Pepys.

RATOON Ra*toon", v. i.

Defn: Same as Rattoon, v. i.

RATSBANE Rats"bane, n. Etym: [Rat + bane.]

Defn: Rat poison; white arsenic.

RATSBANED Rats"baned`, a.

Defn: Poisoned by ratsbane.

RAT-TAIL Rat"-tail`, a.

Defn: Like a rat's tale in form; as, a rat-tail file, which is round, slender, and tapering. See Illust. of File.

RAT-TAIL Rat"-tail`, n.

1. (Far.) pl.

Defn: An excrescence growing from the pastern to the middle of the shank of a horse.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The California chimæra. See Chimæra. (b) Any fish of the genus Macrurus. See Grenadier, 2.

RAT-TAILED Rat"-tailed`, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a long, tapering tail like that of a rat. Rat-tailed larva (Zoöl.), the larva of a fly of the genus Eristalis. See Eristalis. -- Rat-tailed serpent (Zoöl.), the fer-de-lance. -- Rat-tailed shrew (Zoöl.), the musk shrew.

RATTAN Rat*tan", n. Etym: [Malay rotan.] [Written also ratan.] (Bot. )

Defn: One of the long slender flexible stems of several species of palms of the genus Calamus, mostly East Indian, though some are African and Australian. They are exceedingly tough, and are used for walking sticks, wickerwork, chairs and seats of chairs, cords and cordage, and many other purposes.

RATTEEN Rat*teen", n. Etym: [F. ratine.]

Defn: A thick woolen stuff quilled or twilled.

RATTEN Rat"ten, v. t. Etym: [Prov. E. ratten a rat, hence the verb literally means, to do mischief like a rat.]

Defn: To deprive feloniously of the tools used in one's employment (as by breaking or stealing them), for the purpose of annoying; as, to ratten a mechanic who works during a strike. [Trades-union Cant] J. McCarthy.

RATTER Rat"ter, n.

1. One who, or that which, rats, as one who deserts his party.

2. Anything which catches rats; esp., a dog trained to catch rats; a rat terrier. See Terrier.

RATTINET Rat`ti*net", n.

Defn: A woolen stuff thinner than ratteen.

RATTING Rat"ting, n.

1. The conduct or practices of one who rats. See Rat, v. i., 1. Sydney Smith.

2. The low sport of setting a dog upon rats confined in a pit to see how many he will kill in a given time.

RATTLE Rat"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rattled; p. pr. & vb. n. Rattling.] Etym: [Akin to D. ratelen, G. rasseln, AS. hrætele a rattle, in hrætelwyrt rattlewort; cf. Gr. Rail a bird.]

1. To make a quick succession of sharp, inharmonious noises, as by the collision of hard and not very sonorous bodies shaken together; to clatter. And the rude hail in rattling tempest forms. Addison. 'T was but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. Byron.

2. To drive or ride briskly, so as to make a clattering; as, we rattled along for a couple of miles. [Colloq.]

3. To make a clatter with a voice; to talk rapidly and idly; to clatter; -- with on or away; as, she rattled on for an hour. [Colloq.]

RATTLE Rat"tle, v. t.

1. To cause to make a ratting or clattering sound; as, to rattle a chain.

2. To assail, annoy, or stun with a ratting noise. Sound but another [drum], and another shall As loud as thine rattle the welkin's ear. Shak.

3. Hence, to disconcert; to confuse; as, to rattle one's judgment; to rattle a player in a game. [Colloq.]

4. To scold; to rail at. L'Estrange. To rattle off. (a) To tell glibly or noisily; as, to rattle off a story. (b) To rail at; to scold. "She would sometimes rattle off her servants sharply." Arbuthnot.

RATTLE Rat"tle, n.

1. A rapid succession of sharp, clattering sounds; as, the rattle of a drum. Prior.

2. Noisy, rapid talk. All this ado about the golden age is but an empty rattle and frivolous conceit. Hakewill.

3. An instrument with which a ratting sound is made; especially, a child's toy that rattle when shaken. The rattles of Isis and the cymbals of Brasilea nearly enough resemble each other. Sir W. Raleigh. Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. Pope.

4. A noisy, senseless talker; a jabberer. It may seem strange that a man who wrote with so much perspicuity, vivacity, and grace, should have been, whenever he took a part in conversation, an empty, noisy, blundering rattle. Macaulay.

5. A scolding; a sharp rebuke. [Obs.] Heylin.

6. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any organ of an animal having a structure adapted to produce a ratting sound.

Note: The rattle of the rattlesnake is composed of the hardened terminal scales, loosened in succession, but not cast off, and so modified in form as to make a series of loose, hollow joints.

7. The noise in the throat produced by the air in passing through mucus which the lungs are unable to expel; -- chiefly observable at the approach of death, when it is called the death rattle. See Râle. To spring a rattle, to cause it to sound. -- Yellow rattle (Bot.), a yellow-flowered herb (Rhinanthus Crista- galli), the ripe seeds of which rattle in the inflated calyx.

RATTLEBOX Rat"tle*box`, n.

1. A toy that makes a rattle sound; a rattle.

2. (Bot.) (a) An American herb (Crotalaria sagittalis), the seeds of which, when ripe, rattle in the inflated pod. (b) Any species of Crotalaria, a genus of yellow-flowered herbs, with inflated, many-seeded pods.

RATTLE-BRAINED Rat"tle-brained`, a.

Defn: Giddy; rattle-headed.

RATTLEHEAD Rat"tle*head`, n.

Defn: An empty, noisy talker.

RATTLE-HEADED Rat"tle-head`ed, a.

Defn: Noisy; giddy; unsteady.

RATTLEMOUSE Rat"tle*mouse`, n.

Defn: A bat. [Obs.] Puttenham.

RATTLEPATE Rat"tle*pate`, n.

Defn: A rattlehead. C. Kingsley.

RATTLE-PATED Rat"tle-pat`ed, a.

Defn: Rattle-headed. "A noisy, rattle-pated fellow." W. Irving.

RATTLER Rat"tler, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, rattles.

RATTLESNAKE Rat"tle*snake`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of venomous American snakes belonging to the genera Crotalus and Caudisona, or Sistrurus. They have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp ratting sound when shaken. The common rattlesnake of the Northern United States (Crotalus horridus), and the diamond rattlesnake of the south (C. adamanteus), are the best known. See Illust. of Fang. Ground rattlesnake (Zoöl.), a small rattlesnake (Caudisona, or Sistrurus, miliaria) of the Southern United States, having a small rattle. It has nine large scales on its head. -- Rattlesnake fern (Bot.), a common American fern (Botrychium Virginianum) having a triangular decompound frond and a long-stalked panicle of spore cases rising from the middle of the frond. -- Rattlesnake grass (Bot.), a handsome American grass (Glyceria Canadensis) with an ample panicle of rather large ovate spikelets, each one composed of imbricated parts and slightly resembling the rattle of the rattlesnake. Sometimes called quaking grass. -- Rattlesnake plantain (Bot.), See under Plantain. -- Rattlesnake root (Bot.), a name given to certain American species of the composite genus Prenanthes (P. alba and P. serpentaria), formerly asserted to cure the bite of the rattlesnake. Calling also lion's foot, gall of the earth, and white lettuce. -- Rattlesnake's master (Bot.) (a) A species of Agave (Agave Virginica) growing in the Southern United States. (b) An umbelliferous plant (Eryngium yuccæfolium) with large bristly-fringed linear leaves. (c) A composite plant, the blazing star (Liatris squarrosa). -- Rattlesnake weed (Bot.), a plant of the composite genus Hieracium (H. venosum); -- probably so named from its spotted leaves. See also Snakeroot.

RATTLETRAP Rat"tle*trap`, n.

Defn: Any machine or vehicle that does not run smoothly. [Colloq.] A. Trollope.

RATTLEWEED Rat"tle*weed`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the genus Astragalus. See Milk vetch.

RATTLEWINGS Rat"tle*wings`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The golden-eye.

RATTLEWORT Rat"tle*wort`, n. Etym: [AS. hrætelwyrt.] (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Rattlebox.

RATTLINGS Rat"tlings, n. pl. (Naut.)

Defn: Ratlines.

RATTOON Rat*toon", n. Etym: [Sp. retoño.]

Defn: One of the stems or shoots of sugar cane of the second year's growth from the root, or later. See Plant-cane.

RATTOON Rat*toon", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rattooned; p. pr. & vb. n. Rattooning.] Etym: [Cf. Sp. retoñar.]

Defn: To sprout or spring up from the root, as sugar cane of the previous year's planting.

RAUCID Rau"cid, a. Etym: [L. raucus hoarse; cf. LL. raucidus.]

Defn: Hoarse; raucous [R.] Lamb.

RAUCITY Rau"ci*ty, n. Etym: [L. rausitas, from raucus hoarse: cf. F. raucité.]

Defn: Harshness of sound; rough utterance; hoarseness; as, the raucity of a trumpet, or of the human voice.

RAUCOUS Rau"cous, a. Etym: [L. raucus.]

Defn: Hoarse; harsh; rough; as, a raucous, thick tone. "His voice slightly raucous." Aytoun. -- Rau"cous*ly, adv.

RAUGHT Raught, obs.

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Reach. Shak.

RAUGHT Raught, obs.

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Reck. Chaucer.

RAUNCH Raunch, v. t.

Defn: See Ranch. Spenser.

RAUNSOUN Raun*soun", n.

Defn: Ransom. [Obs.] Chaucer.

RAVAGE Rav"age (; 48), n. Etym: [F., fr. (assumed) L. rapagium, rapaticum, fr. rapere to carry off by force, to ravish. See Rapacious, Ravish.]

Defn: Desolation by violence; violent ruin or destruction; devastation; havoc; waste; as, the ravage of a lion; the ravages of fire or tempest; the ravages of an army, or of time. Would one think 't were possible for love To make such ravage in a noble soul Addison.

Syn. -- Despoilment; devastation; desolation; pillage; plunder; spoil; waste; ruin.

RAVAGE Rav"age, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ravaged; p. pr. & vb. n. Ravaging.] Etym: [F. ravager. See Ravage, n.]

Defn: To lay waste by force; to desolate by violence; to commit havoc or devastation upon; to spoil; to plunder; to consume. Already Cæsar Has ravaged more than half the globe. Addison. His lands were daily ravaged, his cattle driven away. Macaulay.

Syn. -- To despoil; pillage; plunger; sack; spoil; devastate; desolate; destroy; waste; ruin.

RAVAGER Rav"a*ger, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, ravages or lays waste; spoiler.

RAVE Rave, n. Etym: [Prov. E. raves, or rathes, a frame laid on a wagon, for carrying hay, etc.]

Defn: One of the upper side pieces of the frame of a wagon body or a sleigh.

RAVE Rave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Raved; p. pr. & vb. n. Raving.] Etym: [F. rêver to rave, to be delirious, to dream; perhaps fr. L. rabere to rave, rage, be mad or furious. Cf. Rage, Reverie.]

1. To wander in mind or intellect; to be delirious; to talk or act irrationally; to be wild, furious, or raging, as a madman. In our madness evermore we rave. Chaucer. Have I not cause to rave and beat my breast Addison. The mingled torrent of redcoats and tartans went raving down the valley to the gorge of Kiliecrankie. Macaulay.

2. To rush wildly or furiously. Spencer.

3. To talk with unreasonable enthusiasm or excessive passion or excitement; -- followed by about, of, or on; as, he raved about her beauty. The hallowed scene Which others rave on, though they know it not. Byron.

RAVE Rave, v. t.

Defn: To utter in madness or frenzy; to say wildly; as, to rave nonsense. Young.

RAVEHOOK Rave"hook, n. (Shipbuilding)

Defn: A tool, hooked at the end, for enlarging or clearing seams for the reception of oakum.

RAVEL Rav"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raveled or Ravelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Raveling or Ravelling.] Etym: [. ravelen, D. rafelen, akin to LG. rebeln, rebbeln, reffeln.]

1. To separate or undo the texture of; to take apart; to untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out; as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a sticking. Sleep, that knits up the raveled sleave of care. Shak.

2. To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.

3. To pull apart, as the threads of a texture, and let them fall into a tangled mass; hence, to entangle; to make intricate; to involve. What glory's due to him that could divide Such raveled interests has he not untied Waller. The faith of very many men seems a duty so weak and indifferent, is so often untwisted by violence, or raveled and entangled in weak discourses! Jer. Taylor.

RAVEL Rav"el, v. i.

1. To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy.

2. To fall into perplexity and confusion. [Obs.] Till, by their own perplexities involved, They ravel more, still less resolved. Milton.

3. To make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern. [Obs.] The humor of raveling into all these mystical or entangled matters. Sir W. Temple.

RAVELER Rav"el*er, n. Etym: [Also raveller.]

Defn: One who ravels.

RAVELIN Rave"lin, n. Etym: [F.; cf. Sp. rebellin, It. revellino, rivellino; perhaps fr. L. re- again + vallum wall.] (Fort.)

Defn: A detached work with two embankments with make a salient angle. It is raised before the curtain on the counterscarp of the place. Formerly called demilune and half-moon.

RAVELING Rav"el*ing, n. Etym: [Also ravelling.]

1. The act of untwisting, or of disentangling.

2. That which is raveled out; esp., a thread detached from a texture.

RAVEN Ra"ven, n. Etym: [AS. hræfn; akin to raaf, G. rabe, OHG. hraban, Icel. hrafn, Dan. ravn, and perhaps to L. corvus, Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large black passerine bird (Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger. It is native of the northern part of Europe, Asia and America, and is noted for its sagacity. Sea raven (Zoöl.), the cormorant.

RAVEN Ra"ven, a.

Defn: Of the color of the raven; jet black; as, raven curls; raven darkness.

RAVEN Rav"en, n. Etym: [OF. ravine impetuosity, violence, F. ravine ravine. See Ravine, Rapine.] [Written also ravin, and ravine.]

1. Rapine; rapacity. Ray.

2. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence.

RAVEN Rav"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ravened; p. pr. & vb. n. Ravening.] Etym: [Written also ravin, and ravine.]

1. To obtain or seize by violence. Hakewill.

2. To devoir with great eagerness. Like rats that ravin down their proper bane. Shak.

RAVEN Rav"en, v. i.

Defn: To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity. [Written also ravin, and ravine.] Benjamin shall raven as a wolf. Gen. xlix. 27.

RAVENALA Rav`e*na"la, n. Etym: [Malagasy.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants related to the banana.

Note: Ravenala Madagascariensis, the principal species, is an unbranched tree with immense oarlike leaves growing alternately from two sides of the stem. The sheathing bases of the leafstalks collect and retain rain water, which flows freely when they are pierced with a knife, whence the plant is called traveller's tree.

RAVENER Rav"en*er, n.

1. One who, or that which, ravens or plunders. Gower.

2. A bird of prey, as the owl or vulture. [Obs.] Holland.

RAVENING Rav"en*ing, n.

Defn: Eagerness for plunder; rapacity; extortion. Luke xi. 39.

RAVENING Rav"en*ing, a.

Defn: Greedily devouring; rapacious; as, ravening wolves. -- Rav"en*ing*ly, adv.

RAVENOUS Rav"en*ous, a. Etym: [From 2d Raven.]

1. Devouring with rapacious eagerness; furiously voracious; hungry even to rage; as, a ravenous wolf or vulture.

2. Eager for prey or gratification; as, a ravenous appetite or desire. -- Rav"en*ous*ly, adv. -- Rav"en*ous*ness, n.

RAVEN'S-DUCK Ra"ven's-duck`, n. Etym: [Cf. G. ravenstuch.]

Defn: A fine quality of sailcloth. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

RAVER Rav"er, n.

Defn: One who raves.

RAVIN Rav"in, n.

Defn: Ravenous. [Obs.] Shak.

RAVIN; RAVINE Rav"in, Ravine, n. Etym: [See 2d Raven.]

Defn: Food obtained by violence; plunder; prey; raven. "Fowls of ravyne." Chaucer. Though Nature, red in tooth and claw With ravine, shrieked against his creed. Tennyson.

RAVIN; RAVINE Rav"in, Rav"ine, v. t. & i.

Defn: See Raven, v. t. & i.

RAVINE Ra*vine", n. Etym: [F., a place excavated by a torrent, a ravine, fr. ravir to snatch or tear away, L. rapere; cf. L. rapina rapine. See Ravish, and cf. Rapine, Raven prey.]

1. A torrent of water. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

2. A deep and narrow hollow, usually worn by a stream or torrent of water; a gorge; a mountain cleft.

RAVING Rav"ing, a.

Defn: Talking irrationally and wildly; as, a raving lunatic. -- Rav"ing*ly, adv.

RAVISH Rav"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ravished; p. pr. & vb. n. Ravishing.] Etym: [OE. ravissen, F. ravir, fr. L. rapere to snatch or tear away, to ravish. See Rapacious, Rapid, and -ish.]

1. To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force. These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin Will quicken, and accuse thee. Shak. This hand shall ravish thy pretended right. Dryden.

2. To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy. "Ravished . . . for the joy." Chaucer. Thou hast ravished my heart. Cant. iv. 9.

3. To have carnal knowledge of (a woman) by force, and against her consent; to rape. Shak.

Syn. -- To transport; entrance; enrapture; delight; violate; deflour; force.

RAVISHER Rav"ish*er, n.

Defn: One who ravishes (in any sense).

RAVISHING Rav"ish*ing, a.

Defn: Rapturous; transporting.

RAVISHINGLY Rav"ish*ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a ravishing manner.

RAVISHMENT Rav"ish*ment, n. Etym: [F. ravissement. See Ravish.]

1. The act of carrying away by force or against consent; abduction; as, the ravishment of children from their parents, or a ward from his guardian, or of a wife from her husband. Blackstone.

2. The state of being ravished; rapture; transport of delight; ecstasy. Spencer. In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. Milton.

3. The act of ravishing a woman; rape.

RAVISSANT Rav"is*sant, a. Etym: [F.] (Her.)

Defn: In a half-raised position, as if about to spring on prey.

RAW Raw, a. [Compar Rawer; superl. Rawest.] Etym: [AS. hreáw; akin to D. raauw, LG. rau, G. roh, OHG. ro, Icel. hrar, Dan. raa, Sw. rå, L. crudus, Gr. kre`as flesh, Skr. kravis raw flesh. sq. root18. Cf. Crude, Cruel.]

1. Not altered from its natural state; not prepared by the action of heat; as, raw sienna; specifically, not cooked; not changed by heat to a state suitable for eating; not done; as, raw meat.

2. Hence: Unprepared for use or enjoyment; immature; unripe; unseasoned; inexperienced; unpracticed; untried; as, raw soldiers; a raw recruit. Approved himself to the raw judgment of the multitude. De Quincey.

3. Not worked in due form; in the natural state; untouched by art; unwrought. Specifically: (a) Not distilled; as, raw water. [Obs.] Bacon. (b) Not spun or twisted; as, raw silk or cotton. (c) Not mixed or diluted; as, raw spirits. (d) Not tried; not melted and strained; as, raw tallow. (e) Not tanned; as, raw hides. (f) Not trimmed, covered, or folded under; as, the raw edge of a piece of metal or of cloth.

4. Not covered; bare. Specifically: (a) Bald. [Obs.] "With scull all raw." Spencer (b) Deprived of skin; galled; as, a raw sore. (c) Sore, as if by being galled. And all his sinews waxen weak and raw Through long imprisonment. Spenser.

5. Disagreeably damp or cold; chilly; as, a raw wind. "A raw and gusty day." Shak. Raw material, material that has not been subjected to a (specified) process of manufacture; as, ore is the raw material used in smelting; leather is the raw material of the shoe industry. -- Raw pig, cast iron as it comes from the smelting furnace.

RAW Raw, n.

Defn: A raw, sore, or galled place; a sensitive spot; as, to touch one on the raw. Like savage hackney coachmen, they know where there is a raw. De Quincey.

RAWBONE Raw"bone`, a.

Defn: Rawboned. [Obs.] Spencer.

RAWBONED Raw"boned`, a.

Defn: Having little flesh on the bones; gaunt. Shak.

RAWHEAD Raw"head`, n.

Defn: A specter mentioned to frighten children; as, rawhead and bloodybones.

RAWHIDE Raw"hide`, n.

Defn: A cowhide, or coarse riding whip, made of untanned (or raw) hide twisted.

RAWISH Raw"ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat raw. [R.] Marston.

RAWLY Raw"ly, adv.

1. In a raw manner; unskillfully; without experience.

2. Without proper preparation or provision. Shak.

RAWNESS Raw"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being raw.

RAY Ray, v. t. Etym: [An aphetic form of array; cf. Beray.]

1. To array. [Obs.] Sir T. More.

2. To mark, stain, or soil; to streak; to defile. [Obs.] "The fifth that did it ray." Spenser.

RAY Ray, n.

Defn: Array; order; arrangement; dress. [Obs.] And spoiling all her gears and goodly ray. Spenser.

RAY Ray, n. Etym: [OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. Radius.]

1. One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A radiating part of the flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius. See Radius.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes. (b) One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.

4. (Physics) (a) A line of light or heat proceeding from a radiant or reflecting point; a single element of light or heat propagated continuously; as, a solar ray; a polarized ray. (b) One of the component elements of the total radiation from a body; any definite or limited portion of the spectrum; as, the red ray; the violet ray. See Illust. under Light.

5. Sight; perception; vision; -- from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen. All eyes direct their rays On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze. Pope.

6. (Geom.)

Defn: One of a system of diverging lines passing through a point, and regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. See Half-ray. Bundle of rays. (Geom.) See Pencil of rays, below. -- Extraordinary ray (Opt.), that one or two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which does not follow the ordinary law of refraction. -- Ordinary ray (Opt.) that one of the two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which follows the usual or ordinary law of refraction. -- Pencil of rays (Geom.), a definite system of rays. -- Ray flower, or Ray floret (Bot.), one of the marginal flowers of the capitulum in such composite plants as the aster, goldenrod, daisy, and sunflower. They have an elongated, strap-shaped corolla, while the corollas of the disk flowers are tubular and five-lobed. -- Ray point (Geom.), the common point of a pencil of rays. -- Röntgen ray ( (Phys.), a kind of ray generated in a very highly exhausted vacuum tube by the electrical discharge. It is capable of passing through many bodies opaque to light, and producing photographic and fluorescent effects by which means pictures showing the internal structure of opaque objects are made, called radiographs, or sciagraphs. So called from the discoverer, W. C. Röntgen. -- X ray, the Röntgen ray; -- so called by its discoverer because of its enigmatical character, x being an algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity.

RAY Ray, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Raying.] Etym: [Cf. OF. raier, raiier, rayer, L. radiare to irradiate. See Ray, n., and cf. Radiate.]

1. To mark with long lines; to streak. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Etym: [From Ray, n.]

Defn: To send forth or shoot out; to cause to shine out; as, to ray smiles. [R.] Thompson.

RAY Ray, v. t.