Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Răr'e-fī'a-ble, a. p. 1087Capable of being rarefied.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.Răr'e-fȳ, v. i. p. 1087To become thin and porous.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.…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.Rāre'rīpe, a. p. 1087Early ripe; ripe before others, or before the usual season.Rāre'rīpe, n. p. 1087An early fruit; especially, a kind of peach which ripens early.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…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…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…Rās'cal, a. p. 1087Lean; as, a rascal deer. 2. Mean; low. [Obs.] Spenser.Ras-căl'ion, n. p. 1087A low, mean wretch. [Written also rascalion.]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.]Răs'cal-ly, a. p. 1087Like a rascal; meanly trickish or dishonest; vile; base; worthless; as, a rascally porter.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…Rāse, v. i. p. 1087To become leveled with the ground; to fall; to suffer overthrow.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…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…Rāsh, n. p. 1087(Med.) An eruption or efflorescence on the body, with little or no elevation.Rāsh, n. p. 1087An inferior kind of silk, or silk and stuff manufacture. [Obs.] Donne.Rāsh, v. t. p. 1087To strike by a glancing blow; to slash; to cut; to slice. He dreamt the boar had rashed off his helm. Shak. 2. To prepare with haste; to hurry. The former edition of his Acts and Monuments was . . .…Rāsh'er, n. p. 1087A thin slice of bacon; a thin cut.Răsh'ful, a. p. 1087Rash; hasty; precipitate. [Obs.]Rāsh'ling, n. p. 1087One who acts in a rash or hasty manner. [Obs.]Rāsh'ly, adv. p. 1087In a rash or hasty manner; with precipitation; hastily; without due deliberation. He that doth any thing rashly, must do it willingly. L'Estrange.Răsh'ness, n. p. 1087The quality of being rash; overhaste in resolving on, or in undertaking a measure; precipitation; inconsiderate promptness; unwise contempt of danger; acting without due consideration. We offend by…Ras-kōl'nik, n. p. 1087(Eccl.) One belonging to the largest and most important body of dissenters from the Greek church in Russia. [Written also rascolnik.] Brande.Ra-sō'ri-al, a. p. 1087(Ornith.) Of, or pertaining to, a certain order of birds, the gallinaceous birds, as the peacock, domestic fowl, partridge, ostrich, pigeon, and the like. Swainson.Rāsp, n. p. 1087A species of coarse file, on which the cutting prominences are distinct, being raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of a chisel, as is the case with a file.Rāsp, n. p. 1087The raspberry. [Obs.] Set sorrel among the rasps, now will the rasps be the smaller. Bacon.Rāsp, v. t. p. 1087[O. Fr. rasper, N. Fr. râper, Sp. raspar, It. raspare, to scrape, grate, rasp, from O. H. Ger. raspōn, to scrape together; D. raspen, Dan. raspe, Sw. raspa, Ger. raspeln. 1. To rub or file with a…Răsp'a-to-ry, n. p. 1087A surgeon's rasp. Wiseman.Rāsp'ber-ry, n. p. 1087(Bot.) (a.) The fruit of a bramble of the genus Rubus; a berry growing on a prickly plant; as, the black raspberry; the red and the white raspberry. (b.) The shrub itself.Rāsp'er, n. p. 1087One who, or that which, rasps; a scraper.Rās'pis, n. p. 1087The raspberry. [Obs.] Raspberry Fruit. Gerard. Langham.Rässe, n. p. 1087(Zoöl.) A carnivorous animal of the genus Viverra (V. malaccensis), and of the civet kind, found in Java. It furnishes a perfume resembling that of the civet, which is highly prized by the Javanese.…Rās'ūre, n. p. 1087The act of rasing, scraping, shaving, or erasing; erasure; obliteration. 2. The mark by which a letter, word, or any part of a writing or print, is erased, effaced, or obliterated; an erasure.…Răt, n. p. 1087(Zoöl.) One of several species of small, rodent mammals, of the genus Mus, larger than mice, that infest houses, stores, and ships. The brown rat is M. decumanus; the black rat, M. rattus. Of allied…Răt, v. i. p. 1088(Eng. Politics.) To desert one's former party from interested motives; to forsake one's associates for one's own advantage. Coleridge . . . incurred the reproach of having ratted, solely by his…Rāt'a-bil'i-ty, n. p. 1088The quality of being rated.Rāt'a-ble, a. p. 1088Capable of being rated, or set at a certain value. Twenty one were ratable to [at] two marks of silver. Camden. 2. Liable or subjected by law to taxation; as, ratable estate. Stat. of Conn.Rāt'a-ble-ness, n. p. 1088The quality of being ratable; ratability.Rāt'a-bly, adv. p. 1088By rate or proportion; proportionally. Raleigh.Rāt'a-fi'ă, n. p. 1088A fine spirituous liquor, flavored with cherries, apricots, peaches, or other fruit, and sweetened with sugar;—a term applied to the liqueurs called noyau, curaçoa, &c. [Written also ratafia and…Ba-tā'n, n. p. 1088See RATTAN.Rāt'a-ny or Rāt'an-hy, n. p. 1088(Bot.) A half shrubby Peruvian plant (Krameria triandra), the root of which is very astringent. [Written also rhatany.]Rātch, n. p. 1088A ratchet. See RATCHET.Rātch'el, n. p. 1088Gravelly stone. [Prov. Eng.]Rātch'et, n. p. 1088A bar or piece of mechanism turning at one end upon a pivot, while the other end falls into the teeth of a wheel or rack, allowing the latter to move in one direction only; pawl; click; detent; —…Rātch'et-wheel, n. p. 1088(Mach.) A circular wheel, having angular teeth, by which it may be moved forward, as by a lever and catch, or pawl, into which a pawl may drop to prevent the wheel from running back. In the cut, the…Ratchet-drill p. 1088a drill attached to a ratchet so as to be revolved by the reciprocating motion of a hand-lever;—called also pawl-wrench and ratchet-brace.Rāte, n. p. 1088Established portion or measure; fixed allowance. Right feeble through the evil rate of food. Spencer. 2. Degree; standard; proportion; ratio; value; price; rank; movement, as fast or slow, or the…Rāte, v. t. p. 1088To 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…Rāte, v. i. p. 1088To 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.Rāte, v. t. p. 1088To chide with vehemence; to reprove; to scold; to censure violently. Go, rate thy minions, proud, insulting boy. Shak. Conscience is a check to beginners in sin, reclaiming them from it, and rating…Rāte, v. i. p. 1088To use reproaches; to chide; to scold.Rāte'a-ble, a. p. 1088See RATABLE.Rā'tel, n. p. 1088(Zoöl.) A carnivorous animal of the genus Ratellus, and of the weasel family, found in India and at the Cape of Good Hope. The R. mellivorus of the Cape is remarkable for the destruction it makes…Rāte'-pāy'er, n. p. 1088One who is assessed and pays a rate or tax.Rāt'er, n. p. 1088One who rates, sets a value, or makes an estimate.