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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Rāph'a-el-ism, n.p. 1086The principles of painting introduced by Raphael, the distinguished Italian painter.
  2. Rāph'a-el-ite, n.p. 1086One who adopts the principles of Raphael.
  3. Rā'phē, n.p. 1086(Anat.) A prominent line resembling a raised seam; especially, the superficial line or seam extending from the anus to the extremity of the penis. 2. (Bot.) See RHAPHE.
  4. Răph'i-dēs, n. pl.p. 1086(Bot.) Minute transparent crystals found in the tissues of plants. [Written also rhaphides.]
  5. Rāph'il-ite, n.p. 1086(Min.) An asbestiform variety of tremolite. Dana.
  6. Rāp'id, a.p. 1086Very swift or quick; moving with celerity; fast; as, a rapid stream; a rapid flight; a rapid motion. Part shun the goal with rapid wheels. Milton. 2. Advancing with haste or speed; speedy in…
  7. Rāp'id, n.p. 1086The part of a river where the current moves with more celerity than is common; a sudden descent of the surface of a stream without actual waterfall or cascade, as the Lachine rapids in the St.…
  8. Ra-pĭd'ĭ-ty, n.p. 1086The quality or state of being rapid; swiftness; celerity; velocity; as, the rapidity of a current; the rapidity of motion of any kind; rapidity of speech. 2. Quickness of progression or advance; as…
  9. Rāp'id-ly, adv.p. 1086In a rapid manner; with great speed, celerity, or velocity; swiftly; as, to run rapidly; to grow or improve rapidly; to speak rapidly.
  10. Rāp'id-ness, n.p. 1086The state or quality of being rapid; swiftness; speed; celerity; rapidity.
  11. Rā'pi·er, n.p. 1086A light sword with a very narrow blade, introduced from Spain, and formerly worn by gentlemen on all occasions. Fairholt.
  12. Rā'pi-er-fish, n.p. 1086The sword fish. [Obs.] Grew.
  13. Rāp'il or Rā-pīl'lo, n.p. 1086Pulverized volcanic substances.
  14. Rāp′ine, n.p. 1086The act of plundering; the seizing and carrying away of things by force; spoliation; pillage; plunder. “Men who were impelled to war quite as much by the desire of rapine as by the desire of glory.”…
  15. Rāp'ine, v. t.p. 1086To plunder. Sir G. Buck.
  16. Rāp'i-noŭs, a.p. 1086Given to rapine; rapacious. [Obs.]
  17. Rāp'/pa-ree', n.p. 1086A wild Irish plunderer;—so called from his carrying a half-pike, called a rapery. [Written also raparee.] Todd.
  18. Rap-pee',, n.p. 1086A kind of snuff, of either a brown or black color, made from the darker and ranker kinds of tobacco leaves, moistened, and sometimes scented. Simmonds.
  19. Rāp'pel, n.p. 1086(Mil.) The beat of the drum to call soldiers to arms. Simmonds.
  20. Rāp'pen, n.p. 1086A Swiss coin, the tenth part of a franc, nearly equal to one penny sterling. Simmonds.
  21. Rāp'per, n.p. 1086One who, or that which, raps or knocks; specifically, the knocker of a door. [Rare.] 2. An oath or a lie. [Obs.] Parker.
  22. Rap-pôrt', n.p. 1086Relation; proportion. [Obs.] Sir W. Temple. En rapport (Mesmerism), in that condition or relation of sympathy which insures effective influence or communication. Also, generally in a condition or…
  23. Rap-scall'ion, n.p. 1086A low villain; a rascal or rascallion; a wretch. “Ragged rapscallions that abound in the streets of towns.” Howitt.
  24. Rāpt, imp.p. 1086of rap. See RAP.
  25. Rāpt, v. t.p. 1086To transport or ravish. [Obs.] 2. To carry away by force or violence. Chapman.
  26. Rāpt, n.p. 1086An ecstasy; a trance. Morton. 2. Rapidity. [Obs.]
  27. Rāp'ter or Rāp'tor, n.p. 1086A ravisher; a plunderer. [Obs.] Drayton.
  28. Rap-tō'ri-al, a.p. 1086Rapacious; living upon prey;— said especially of certain birds. Swainson.
  29. Rap-tōr'i-ōus, a.p. 1087Raptorial. 2. Adapted to the seizing of prey, as the legs of insects, and the like.
  30. Rāpt'ūre, n.p. 1087A seizing by violence; a hurrying along with velocity; rapidity with violence. [Obs.] Chapman. 2. The state or condition of being rapt, or carried away from one's self by agreeable excitement…
  31. Răpt'ūre, v. t.p. 1087To ravish; to transport; to enrapture. Thomson.
  32. Răpt'ūr-ĭst, n.p. 1087An enthusiast. [Obs.] Spencer.
  33. Rāp'tūr-īze, v. t. & i.p. 1087To put, or be put, in a state of rapture; to enrapture, or to become enraptured. [Rare.]
  34. Rāpt'ūr-ōŭs, a.p. 1087Ecstatic; transporting; ravishing; as, rapturous joy, pleasure, or delight.
  35. Rāp'tūr-ōus-ly, adv.p. 1087In a rapturous manner; with rapture; ecstatically.
  36. Rā'ra-ā'visp. 1087A rare bird; hence, something seldom met with; an unusual person; a rarity.
  37. Rāre, a.p. 1087Of wide separation of parts; of loose texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere at high elevations. Water is nineteen times lighter, and, by consequence, nineteen times rarer, than…
  38. Rāre, a.p. 1087Nearly raw; imperfectly roasted or boiled; partially cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton. New laid eggs, with Baucis’ busy care, Turned by a gentle fire, and roasted rare. Dryden. ☞ This word…
  39. Rār'ee-shōw, n.p. 1087A show carried about in a box by a showman. Pope.
  40. Rār'/e-făc'tion, n.p. 1087The act or process of making rare, or of expanding or distending bodies, by separating the parts; — opposed to condensation; as, the rarefaction of air.
  41. Răr'e-fī'a-ble, a.p. 1087Capable of being rarefied.
  42. Răr'e-fȳ, v. t.p. 1087To make rare, thin, porous, or less dense; to expand or enlarge without adding any new portion of matter to; — opposed to condense.
  43. Răr'e-fȳ, v. i.p. 1087To become thin and porous.
  44. Râre'ly, adv.p. 1087In a rare manner or degree; seldom; not often; as, things rarely seen. 2. Finely; nicely. “The person who played so rarely on the flageolet.” W. Scott. The rest of the apartments are rarely gilded.…
  45. Rāre'ness, n.p. 1087The state of being rare; thinness; tenuity. 2. The state of being rare or scarce; uncommonness; infrequency. And let the rareness the small gift commend. Dryden. 3. Value arising from scarcity. Bacon.
  46. Rāre'rīpe, a.p. 1087Early ripe; ripe before others, or before the usual season.
  47. Rāre'rīpe, n.p. 1087An early fruit; especially, a kind of peach which ripens early.
  48. Rār′i-ty, n.p. 1087The quality or state of being rare; rareness; thinness; tenuity; as, the rarity of air. 2. The state of being rare or scarce; uncommonness; infrequency; as, the rarity of an event, or of a plant. Far…
  49. Rasante, a.p. 1087(Fort.) 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…
  50. Răs'cal, n.p. 1087A lean beast; especially, a lean deer. Horns! . . . the noblest deer hath them as huge as the rascal. Shak. 2. A mean fellow; a scoundrel; a worthless fellow; a trickish, dishonest person; a…
  51. Rās'cal, a.p. 1087Lean; as, a rascal deer. 2. Mean; low. [Obs.] Spenser.
  52. Ras-căl'ion, n.p. 1087A low, mean wretch. [Written also rascalion.]
  53. Ras-căl'i-ty, n.p. 1087The quality of being rascally, or a rascal; mean trickishness or dishonesty; base fraud. 2. The low, mean part of the people. [Obs.]
  54. Răs'cal-ly, a.p. 1087Like a rascal; meanly trickish or dishonest; vile; base; worthless; as, a rascally porter.
  55. Rāze, v. t.p. 1087To rub along the surface of; to graze. [Rare.] Might not the bullet which rased his cheek have gone into his head? South. Sometimes his feet rased the surface of the water, and, at others, the…
  56. Rāse, v. i.p. 1087To become leveled with the ground; to fall; to suffer overthrow.
  57. Rāse, n.p. 1087A cancel; erasure. 2. A slight wound. 3. (O. Eng. Law.) A measure in which the commodity measured was made even with the top of the measuring vessel, by scraping or striking off all that was above…
  58. Rāsh, a.p. 1087Hasty; quick; sudden; rapid; urgent; as, a rash fire. “Rash gunpowder.” Shak. I have scarce leisure to salute you, My matter is so rash. Shak. 2. Especially, hasty in counsel or action; precipitate…
  59. Rāsh, n.p. 1087(Med.) An eruption or efflorescence on the body, with little or no elevation.
  60. Rāsh, n.p. 1087An inferior kind of silk, or silk and stuff manufacture. [Obs.] Donne.