Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Rī'gēl, n. p. 1140(Astron.) A fixed star of the first magnitude in the left foot of the constellation Orion.Rīg'gĕr, n. p. 1140One who rigs or dresses; one whose occupation is to fit the rigging of a ship. 2. A cylindrical pulley or drum in machinery.Rīg'ging, n. p. 1140Dress; tackle; especially, the ropes which support the masts, extend and contract the sails, &c., of a ship. Running rigging (Naut.), all those ropes used in bracing the yards, making and shortening…Rīg'gish, a. p. 1140Like a rig or wanton; wanton; lewd. [Obs.] Shak.Rīg'gle, v. i. p. 1140To move one way and the other. See WRIGGLE.Right, a. p. 1140Straight; not crooked; as, a right line; hence, most direct; as, the right way from London to Oxford. 2. Upright; erect; not oblique; as, right ascension; a right sphere. 3. Conformed to the…Right, adv. p. 1140In a right manner; especially, in a right or straight line; directly. Let thine eyes look right on. Prov. iv. 25. 2. According to the law or will of God, or to the standard of truth and justice; as…Right, n. p. 1140That which is right or correct; as, (a.) The straight course; adherence to duty; obedience to lawful authority, divine or human; freedom from guilt; — the opposite of moral wrong. (b.) A true…Right, v. t. p. 1140To bring or restore to the proper or natural position; to set upright; to make right or straight, as having been wrong or crooked. All experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer…Right, v. i. p. 1140To recover the proper or natural condition or position; to become upright. 2. (Naut.) Hence, to rise with the masts erect, as a ship when it has been drawn to one side.Right'-ăn' gled, a. p. 1140Containing a right angle or right angles.Right'en, v. t. p. 1140To do justice to. [Obs.]Right'eoüs, a. p. 1140According with, or performing, that which is right; yielding to all their due; just; equitable; praiseworthy; merited; especially, free from guilt or sin; holy. Fearless in his righteous cause…Right'eoüsed, a. p. 1140Made righteous. [Obs.]Right'eous-ly, adv. p. 1140In a righteous manner; in accordance with the laws of justice; equitably; justly; as, a criminal righteously condemned.Right'eous-ness, n. p. 1140[O. Eng. right-wisnesse, A-S. rihtwisness. [See supra.] 1. The quality of being righteous; exact rectitude; purity. ¶ Righteousness, as used in Scripture and theology, in which it chiefly occurs, is…Right'er, n. p. 1140One who sets right; one who does justice or redresses wrong.Right’ful, a. p. 1140Consonant to justice; just; as, a rightful cause; a rightful war. 2. Having the right or just claim according to established laws; as, the rightful heir to a throne or an estate. 3. Being by right…Right'ful-ly, adv. p. 1140According to right, law, or justice; as, a title rightfully vested.Right'ful-ness, n. p. 1140The state of being rightful; accordance with the rules of right; as, the rightfulness of a claim to lands or tenements. 2. Moral rectitude. [Obs.] We fail of perfect rightfulness. Sidney.Right'-hănd, n. p. 1140The hand opposite to the left, and usually more in use, stronger, more convenient or dexterous,—whence the name.Right'-hănd'ed, a. p. 1140Using the right hand habitually, or more easily than the left. 2. (Conch.) Having the convolutions turning from right to left; — said of certain shells.Right-handed screw p. 1140a screw the threads of which wind spirally from left to right, or which advances when turned with a motion the same as that of the hands of a watch. See LEFT-HANDED.Right'-hănd'ed-ness, n. p. 1140The state or quality of being right-handed; hence, skill; dexterity.Right'-heärt'ed, a. p. 1140Having right dispositions.Right'less, a. p. 1140Destitute of right.Right'ly, adv. p. 1140Straightly; directly. [Obs.] 2. According to justice; according to the divine will or moral rectitude; honestly; uprightly; as, duty rightly performed. 3. Properly; fitly; suitably; appropriately.…Right'-mīnd'ed, a. p. 1140Having a right or honest mind. Bp. Taylor.Right'-mind'ed-ness, n. p. 1140The state of being right-minded.Right'ness, n. p. 1140Straightness; as, the rightness of a line. Bacon. 2. The state of being right; rectitude; righteousness; conformity to truth or to the divine will, which is the standard of moral rectitude. South.Right'-rŭn'ning, a. p. 1140Straight-running.Right’ward, adv. p. 1140Toward the right hand or right side; to the right. Rightward and leftward rise the rocks. Southey.Right'-whale, n. p. 1140(Zoöl.) The common whale (Balæna mysticetus), from whose mouth whalebone is obtained, as distinguished from the spermace'ti whale.Right′wise, a. p. 1140Righteous. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Right'wise, v. t. p. 1140To make righteous. [Obs.]Right'wise-ly, adv. p. 1140Righteously. [Obs.]Right'wise-ness, n. p. 1140Righteousness. [Obs.]Rig'id, a. p. 1140Rendered not pliant; having become so firm as not to be easily bent; stiff;— opposed to flexible. Upright beams innumerable Of rigid spears. — Milton. 2. Hence, not lax or indulgent; severe…Rĭ-gĭd'ĭ-ty, n. p. 1140Want of pliability; the quality of resisting change of form, — opposed to flexibility, ductility, malleability, and softness. 2. Stiffness of appearance or manner; want of ease or airy elegance.…Rig'id-ly, adv. p. 1140In a rigid manner; stiffly; severely; inflexibly.Rig'id-ness, n. p. 1140The quality of being rigid; rigidity.Rig'let, n. p. 1140(Print.) A flat, thin piece of wood; a reglet. See REGLET.Rig'ma-rōle, n. p. 1140A succession of confused or nonsensical statements; foolish talk; nonsense. [Colloq.] Often one's dear friend talks something which one scruples to call rigmarole. De Quincey.Rig'ma-rōle, a. p. 1141Consisting of rigmarole; frivolous; nonsensical; foolish.Rig'ol, n. p. 1141A circle; a diadem. [Obs.] This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep That from the golden rigol hath divorced So many English kings. Shak.Rīg'oll, n. p. 1141A musical instrument formerly in use, consisting of several sticks bound together, but separated by beads, and played upon by a stick furnished with a ball at its end. Moore.Rig'or, n. p. 1141The becoming stiff or rigid; the state of being rigid; rigidness; stiffness; hardness. The rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move. Milton. 2. (Med.) A sense of chilliness, with…Rig'or-ism, n. p. 1141Rigidity in principle or practice. 2. Severity, as of style, or the like. Jefferson.Rĭg’or-ist, n. p. 1141One who is very rigorous;—a name sometimes given to an extreme Jansenist. Brande.Rig'or-ous, a. p. 1141Manifesting, exercising, or favoring rigor; allowing no abatement or mitigation; scrupulously accurate; exact; strict; severe; as, a rigorous officer of justice; a rigorous execution of law; a…Rig'or-oüs-ly, adv. p. 1141In a rigorous manner; without relaxation, abatement, or mitigation; with scrupulous nicety; rigidly. “The sad sentence rigorously urged.” Milton. The people would examine his works more rigorously…Rig'or-ous-ness, n. p. 1141The state of being rigorous; severity; exactness.Rile, v. t. p. 1141To render turbid; to stir up; to roil. 2. To make angry; to vex. ☞ The proper orthography of this word is roil; but rile is not uncommon, especially in colloquial and humorous language.Rilievo, n. p. 1141(Sculp. & Arch.) Prominence of figures; relief. See RELIEF, 5. [Written also relievo.]Rill, n. p. 1141A small brook; a rivulet; a streamlet.Rill, v. i. p. 1141To run in a small stream, or in streamlets. [Rare.] Prior.Rill'et, n. p. 1141A small stream; a rivulet. “This by-stream, which, as a rillet, is deducted from the main channel of my studies.” Burton.Rĭm, n. p. 1141The border, edge, or margin of a thing; as, the rim of a kettle or basin; — usually applied to things which are circular or curving. 2. The lower part of the belly or abdomen. [Obs. or rare.] Browne.Rĭm, v. t. p. 1141To furnish with a rim.Rī'mā, n. p. 1141(Anat.) A chink or cleft.