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.
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.Rāth, n. p. 1088A hill or mountain. Spenser. 2. A fortress.Rāth or Rāthe, a. p. 1088Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. “The men of rathe and riper years.” Tennyson. Bring the rathe primrose, that forsaken dies. Milton.Rāth or Rāthe, adv. p. 1088Early; betimes. “Too rathe cut off by practice criminal.” Spenser. Held her from her sleep Till rathe she rose. Tennyson.Rāth'er, adv. p. 1088Earlier; sooner. [Obs.]Răth'er, adv. p. 1088By earlier choice; more readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life. Job vii. 15. 2. More so than otherwise; on the other hand; in some degree; to the…Răth'rīpe, n. p. 1088A rareripe. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]Răth'rīpe, a. p. 1088Early ripe; mature before the season; rareripe. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] “Such as delight in rathripe fruits.” Fuller.Răt'i-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 1088The act of ratifying, or giving sanction and validity to something done by another; the state of being ratified; confirmation; as, the ratification of a treaty.Răt'i-fi'er, n. p. 1088One who, or that which, ratifies or sanctions.Răt'i-fy, v. t. p. 1088To approve and sanction; to make valid; to confirm; to establish; to settle; especially, to give sanction to, as something done by an agent or servant; as, to ratify an agreement or treaty. It is…Răt'i-ha-bī'tion, n. p. 1088Confirmation or approbation, as of a contract. [Obs.]Ra'ti-o, n. p. 1088(Math.) The relation which one quantity or magnitude has to another of the same kind, as expressed by the quotient of the second divided by the first; thus, the ratio of 3 to 6 is expressed by ⁶⁄₃…Rā/ti-ŏç'i-nāte, v. i. p. 1088To reason deductively; to offer reason or argument.Rā'ti-ōç'i-nā'tion, n. p. 1088The act or process of reasoning, or deducing conclusions from premises. See REASONING.Rā`ti-ŏç'i-nā-tive, a. p. 1088Characterized by, or addicted to, ratiocination; consisting in the comparison of propositions or facts, and the deduction of inferences from the comparison; argumentative; as, a ratiocinative…Rā'tion, n. p. 1088A portion or fixed allowance of provisions, drink, and forage, assigned to a soldier in an army, or sailor in the navy, for his daily subsistence, and for the subsistence of horses. ☞— Officers have…Rā'tion-al, a. p. 1088Relating to the reason; not physical. Milton. 2. Having reason, or the faculty of reasoning; endowed with reason;—opposed to irrational; as, man is a rational being; brutes are not rational animals.…Rā'tion-al or Rā'tion-ā'le, n. p. 1089A rational being. Young. Rā'tion-ā'le (rāsh'un-ā'le) (Synop., § 130), n. [Fr. rational, Sp. racional, from Lat. rationalis. See RATIONAL.] 1. A detail with reasons; a series of reasons assigned; as…Rā'tion-al-ism, n. p. 1089A system of opinions deduced from reason, as distinct from, or opposed to, revelation; an excessive deference to, or reliance on, reason.Rā'tion-al-ist, n. p. 1089One who proceeds in his disquisitions and practice wholly upon reason. Bacon. 2. One who relies on his reason as the sole or the supreme authority in matters of religion, and rejects supernatural…Rā'tion-al-ist'ic or Rā'tion-al-ist'ic-al, a. p. 1089Belonging to, or in accordance with, the principles of rationalism.Rā'tion-al-ist'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1089In a rationalistic manner.Rā'tion-āl'i-ty, n. p. 1089The quality of being rational; possession of reason; due exercise of reason; reasonableness. “Well-directed intentions, whose rationalities will not bear a rigid examination.” Browne. God has made…Rā'tion-al-ize, v. t. p. 1089To convert to rationalism; to interpret like a rationalist.Rā'tion-al-ize, v. i. p. 1089To rely wholly or unduly on reason; to accord with the principles of rationalism. Nothing was less simple than the popular Mohammedanism. It rationalized, if it might be called rationalism, only in…Rā'tion-al-ly, adv. p. 1089In a rational manner; in consistency with reason; reasonably; as, we rationally expect every man will pursue his own happiness.Rā'tion-al-ness, n. p. 1089The state of being rational, or consistent with reason; rationality.Rā'ti-o-na-ry, a. p. 1089Belonging to accounts. [Rare.]