Chapter 1267

<-- Rayon. A synthetic fiber, consisting of a polyamide -->

Rayonnant <Xpage=1193>

Ray"on*nant (?) , a. [F.] (Her.) Darting forth rays, as the sun when it shines out.

Raze <Xpage=1193>

Raze (?) , n. [See Rack .] A Shakespearean word (used once) supposed to mean the same as race , a root. <-- Obs. -->

Raze <Xpage=1193>

Raze , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Razed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Razing .] [F. raser . See Rase , v. t. ] [Written also rase .] 1. To erase; to efface; to obliterate.

Razing the characters of your renown. Shak.

2. To subvert from the foundation; to lay level with the ground; to destroy; to demolish.

The royal hand that razed unhappy Troy. Dryden.

Syn. -- To demolish; level; prostrate; overthrow; subvert; destroy; ruin. See Demolish .

Razed <Xpage=1193>

Razed (?) , a. Slashed or striped in patterns. [Obs.] "Two Provincial roses on my razed shoes."

Shak.

Razee <Xpage=1193>

Ra*zee" (?) , n. [F. vaisseau ras\'82 , fr. raser to rase, to cut down ships. See Raze , v. t. , Rase , v. t. ] (Naut.) An armed ship having her upper deck cut away, and thus reduced to the next inferior rate, as a seventy-four cut down to a frigate.

Totten.

Razoe <Xpage=1193>

Ra*zoe" , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Razeed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Razeeing .] To cut down to a less number of decks, and thus to an inferior rate or glass, as a ship; hence, to prune or abridge by cutting off or retrenching parts; as, to razee a book, or an article .

Razor <Xpage=1193>

Ra"zor (?) , n. [OE. rasour , OF. rasur , LL. rasor : cf. F. rasoir , LL. rasorium . See Raze , v. t. , Rase , v. t. ] 1. A keen-edged knife of peculiar shape, used in shaving the hair from the face or the head. "Take thee a barber's rasor ." <-- also called straight razor -->

Ezek. v. 1.

<-- (b) a similar device for shaving, with a replaceable blade. Also called safety razor. Also a similar device, made of plastic, in which the blade is neither replaceable nor can be sharpened, intended to be discarded after the blade dulls -- called a disposable razor. --> -->

2. (Zo\'94l.) A task of a wild boar.

Razor fish . (Zo\'94l.) (a) A small Mediterranean fish ( Coryph\'91na novacula ), prized for the table . (b) The razor shell. -- Razor grass (Bot.) , a West Indian plant ( Scleria scindens ), the triangular stem and the leaves of which are edged with minute sharp teeth. -- Razor grinder (Zo\'94l.) , the European goat-sucker. -- Razor shell (Zo\'94l.) , any marine bivalve shell belonging to Solen and allied genera, especially Solen, &or; Ensatella, ensis, &and; Americana , which have a long, narrow, somewhat curved shell, resembling a razor handle in shape. Called also rasor clam , razor fish , knife handle . -- Razor stone . Same as Novaculite . -- Razor strap , &or; razor strop , a strap or strop used in sharpening razors. <-- safety razor; disposable razor; electric razor -->

Rasorable <Xpage=1193>

Ra"sor*a*ble (?) , a. Ready for the razor; fit to be shaved. [R.]

Shak.

Razorback <Xpage=1193>

Ra"zor*back" (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The rorqual.

Razor-backed <Xpage=1193>

Ra"zor-backed" (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Having a sharp, lean, or thin back; as, a razor-backed hog, perch, etc .

Razorbill <Xpage=1193>

Ra"zor*bill (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A species of auk ( Alca torda ) common in the Arctic seas. See Auk , and Illust . in Appendix. (b) See Cutwater , 3.

Razure <Xpage=1193>

Ra"zure (?) , n. [See Rasure .]

1. The act of erasing or effacing, or the state of being effaced; obliteration. See Rasure .

2. An erasure; a change made by erasing.

Razzia <Xpage=1193>

Raz"zi*a (?) , n. [F., fr. Ar. gh\'bez\'c6a (pron. razia in Algeria).] A plundering and destructive incursion; a foray; a rai<?/.

Re- <Xpage=1193>

Re- (?) . [L. re- , older form (retained before vowels) red- : cf. F. re- , r\'82- .] A prefix signifying back , against , again , anew ; as, re cline, to lean back; re call, to call back; re cede; re move; re claim, to call out against; re pugn, to fight against; re cognition, a knowing again; re join, to join again; re iterate, re assure . Combinations containing the prefix re- are readily formed, and are for the most part of obvious signification.

Re <Xpage=1193>

Re (r&amac;) . [It.] (Mus.) A syllable applied in solmization to the second tone of the diatonic scale of C; in the American system, to the second tone of any diatonic scale.

Reabsorb <Xpage=1193>

Re`ab*sorb" (?) , v. t. To absorb again; to draw in, or imbibe, again what has been effused, extravasated, or thrown off; to swallow up again; as, to reabsorb chyle, lymph, etc .; -- used esp. of fluids.

Reabsorption <Xpage=1193>

Re`ab*sorp"tion (?) , n. The act or process of rearbsorbing.

Reaccess <Xpage=1193>

Re`ac*cess" (?) , n. A second access or approach; a return.

Hakewill.

Reaccuse <Xpage=1193>

Re"ac*cuse" (?) , v. t. To accuse again.

Cheyne.

Reach <Xpage=1193>

Reach , n. An effort to vomit. [R.]

Reach <Xpage=1193>

Reach , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Reached (?) ( Raught , the old preterit, is obsolete); p. pr. & vb. n. Reaching .] [OE. rechen , AS. r&aemac;can , r&aemac;cean , to extend, stretch out; akin to D. reiken , G. reichen , and possibly to AS. r\'c6ce powerful, rich, E. rich . &root;115.] 1. To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like.

Her tresses yellow, and long straughten, Unto her heeles down they raughten . Rom. of R.

Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side. John xx. 27.

Fruit trees, over woody, reached too far Their pampered boughs. Milton.

2. Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book .

He reached me a full cap. 2 Esd. xiv. 39.

3. To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; too extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear .

O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford, Than I may reach the beast. Dryden.

4. To strike, hit, or tough with a missile; as, to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell .

5. Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as.

If these examples of grown men reach not the case of children, let them examine. Locke.

6. To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent; as, his hand reaches the river .

Thy desire . . . leads to no excess That reaches blame. Milton.

7. To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain; to be advanced to.

The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach , comes short of its reality. Cheyne.

9. To understand; to comprehend. [Obs.]

Do what, sir? I reach you not. Beau. & Fl.

10. To overreach; to deceive. [Obs.]

South.

Reach <Xpage=1193>

Reach , v. t. 1. To stretch out the hand.

Goddess humane, reach , then, and freely taste! Milton.

2. To strain after something; to make efforts.

Reaching above our nature does no good. Dryden.

3. To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence, etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to, something.

And behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. Gen. xxviii. 12.

The new world reaches quite across the torrid zone. Boyle.

4. (Naut.) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the ind nearly abeam.

To reach after &or; at , to make efforts to attain to or obtain.

He would be in the mind reaching after a positive idea of infinity. Locke.

Reach <Xpage=1193>

Reach , n. 1. The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my reach ; to be within reach of cannon shot.

2. The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.

Drawn by others who had deeper reaches than themselves to matters which they least intended. Hayward.

Be sure yourself and your own reach to know. Pope.

3. Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.

And on the left hand, hell, With long reach , interposed. Milton.

I am to pray you not to strain my speech To grosser issues, nor to larger reach Than to suspicion. Shak.

4. An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an arm of the sea extending up into the land. "The river's wooded reach ."

Tennyson.

The coast . . . is very full of creeks and reaches . Holland.

5. An article to obtain an advantage.

The Duke of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own underhand to cross the design. Bacon.

6. The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.

Reachable <Xpage=1193>

Reach"a*ble (?) , a. Being within reach.

Reacher <Xpage=1193>

Reach"er (?) , n. 1. One who reaches.

2. An exaggeration. [Obs.]

Fuller.

Reachless <Xpage=1193>

Reach"less , a. Being beyond reach; lofty.

Unto a reachless pitch of praises hight. Bp. Hall.

React <Xpage=1193>

Re*act" (?) , v. t. To act or perform a second time; to do over again; as, to react a play; the same scenes were reacted at Rome. <-- = re-enact? -->

React <Xpage=1193>

Re*act" (?) , v. i. 1. To return an impulse or impression; to resist the action of another body by an opposite force; as, every body reacts on the body that impels it from its natural state .

<page="1194"> Page 1194

2. To act upon each other; to exercise a reciprocal or a reverse effect, as two or more chemical agents; to act in opposition.

Reaction <Xpage=1194>

Re*ac"tion (?) , n. [Cf. F. r\'82action .] 1. Any action in resisting other action or force; counter tendency; movement in a contrary direction; reverse action.

2. (Chem.) The mutual or reciprocal action of chemical agents upon each other, or the action upon such chemical agents of some form of energy, as heat, light, or electricity, resulting in a chemical change in one or more of these agents, with the production of new compounds or the manifestation of distinctive characters. See Blowpipe reaction , Flame reaction , under Blowpipe , and Flame .

3. (Med.) An action included by vital resistance to some other action; depression or exhaustion of vital force consequent on overexertion or overstimulation; heightened activity and overaction succeeding depression or shock.

4. (Mech.) The force which a body subjected to the action of a force from another body exerts upon the latter body in the opposite direction.

Reaction is always equal and opposite to action, that is to say, the actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and in opposite directions. Sir I. Newton (3d Law of Motion).

5. (Politics) Backward tendency or movement after revolution, reform, or great progress in any direction.

The new king had, at the very moment at which his fame and fortune reached the highest point, predicted the coming reaction . Macaulay.

Reaction time (Physiol.) , in nerve physiology, the interval between the application of a stimulus to an end organ of sense and the reaction or resulting movement; -- called also physiological time . -- Reaction wheel (Mech.) , a water wheel driven by the reaction of water, usually one in which the water, entering it centrally, escapes at its periphery in a direction opposed to that of its motion by orifices at right angles, or inclined, to its radii.

Reactionary <Xpage=1194>

Re*ac"tion*a*ry (?) , a. Being, causing, or favoring reaction; as, reactionary movements .

Reactionary <Xpage=1194>

Re*ac"tion*a*ry , n. ; pl. Reactionaries (<?/) . One who favors reaction, or seeks to undo political progress or revolution.

Reactionist <Xpage=1194>

Re*ac"tion*ist , n. A reactionary.

C. Kingsley.

Reactive <Xpage=1194>

Re*act`ive (?) , a. [Cf. F. r\'82actif .] Having power to react; tending to reaction; of the nature of reaction. -- Re*act"ive*ly , adv. -- Re*act"ive*ness , n.

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read (?) , n. Rennet. See 3d Reed . [Prov. Eng.]

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Read (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Reading .] [OE. reden , r\'91den , AS. r&aemac;dan to read, advice, counsel, fr. r&aemac;d advise, counsel, r&aemac;dan (imperf. reord ) to advice, counsel, guess; akin to D. raden to advise, G. raten , rathen , Icel. r\'be&edh;a , Goth. r&emac;dan (in comp.), and perh. also to Skr. r\'bedh to succeed. &root;116. Cf. Riddle.] 1. To advise; to counsel. [Obs.] See Rede .

Therefore, I read thee, get to God's word, and thereby try all doctrine. Tyndale.

2. To interpret; to explain; as, to read a riddle .

3. To tell; to declare; to recite. [Obs.]

But read how art thou named, and of what kin. Spenser.

4. To go over, as characters or words, and utter aloud, or recite to one's self inaudibly; to take in the sense of, as of language, by interpreting the characters with which it is expressed; to peruse; as, to read a discourse; to read the letters of an alphabet; to read figures; to read the notes of music, or to read music; to read a book.

Redeth [read ye] the great poet of Itaille. Chaucer.

Well could he rede a lesson or a story. Chaucer.

5. Hence, to know fully; to comprehend.

Who is't can read a woman? Shak.

6. To discover or understand by characters, marks, features, etc.; to learn by observation.

An armed corse did lie, In whose dead face he read great magnanimity. Spenser.

Those about her From her shall read the perfect ways of honor. Shak.

7. To make a special study of, as by perusing textbooks; as, to read theology or law .

To read one's self in , to read about the Thirty-nine Articles and the Declaration of Assent, -- required of a clergyman of the Church of England when he first officiates in a new benefice.

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read , v. t. 1. To give advice or counsel. [Obs.]

2. To tell; to declare. [Obs.]

Spenser.

3. To perform the act of reading; to peruse, or to go over and utter aloud, the words of a book or other like document.

So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense. Neh. viii. 8.

4. To study by reading; as, he read for the bar .

5. To learn by reading.

I have read of an Eastern king who put a judge to death for an iniquitous sentence. Swift.

6. To appear in writing or print; to be expressed by, or consist of, certain words or characters; as, the passage reads thus in the early manuscripts .

7. To produce a certain effect when read; as, that sentence reads queerly .

To read between the lines , to infer something different from what is plainly indicated; to detect the real meaning as distinguished from the apparent meaning.

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read , n. [AS. r&aemac;d counsel, fr. r&aemac;dan to counsel. See Read , v. t. ]

1. Saying; sentence; maxim; hence, word; advice; counsel. See Rede . [Obs.]

2. [ Read , v. ] Reading. [Colloq.]

Hume.

One newswoman here lets magazines for a penny a read . Furnivall.

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read (?) , imp. & p. p. of Read , v. t. & i.

Read <Xpage=1194>

Read (?) , a. Instructed or knowing by reading; versed in books; learned.

A poet . . . well read in Longinus. Addison.

Readable <Xpage=1194>

Read"a*ble (?) , a. Such as can be read; legible; fit or suitable to be read; worth reading; interesting. -- Read"a*ble*ness , n. -- Read"a*bly , adv ,.

Readability <Xpage=1194>

Read`a*bil"i*ty (?) , n. The state of being readable; readableness.

Readdress <Xpage=1194>

Re`ad*dress" (?) , v. t. To address a second time; -- often used reflexively.

He readdressed himself to her. Boyle.

Readept <Xpage=1194>

Re`a*dept (?) , v. t. [Pref. re- + L. adeptus . p. p. of adipisci to obtain.] To regain; to recover. [Obs.]

Readeption <Xpage=1194>

Re`a*dep"tion (?) , n. A regaining; recovery of something lost. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Reader <Xpage=1194>

Read"er (?) , n. [AS. r&aemac;dere .] 1. One who reads. Specifically: (a) One whose distinctive office is to read prayers in a church. (b) (University of Oxford, Eng.) One who reads lectures on scientific subjects. Lyell. (c) A proof reader. (d) One who reads manuscripts offered for publication and advises regarding their merit .

2. One who reads much; one who is studious.

3. A book containing a selection of extracts for exercises in reading; an elementary book for practice in a language; a reading book.

Readership <Xpage=1194>

Read"er*ship , n. The office of reader.

Lyell.

Readily <Xpage=1194>

Read"i*ly (?) , adv. 1. In a ready manner; quickly; promptly.

Chaucer.