The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section R

Rump (?), n. [OE. rumpe; akin to D. romp trunk, body, LG. rump, G. rumpf, Dan. rumpe rump, Icel. rumpr, Sw. rumpa rump, tail.] 1. The end of the backbone of an animal, with the...

Ren"e*gade (r?n"?-g?d), n. [Sp. renegado, LL. renegatus, fr. renegare to deny; L. pref. re- re- + negare to deny. See Negation, and cf. Runagate.] One faithless to principle or...

Reindeer moss (Bot.), a gray branching lichen (Cladonia rangiferina) which forms extensive patches on the ground in arctic and even in north temperature regions. It is the princ...

(b) To bring together; to collect; to levy; to get together or obtain for use or service; as, to raise money, troops, and the like. "To raise up a rent." Chaucer.

7. (Chem.) To bring to the metallic state by separating from impurities; hence, in general, to remove oxygen from; to deoxidize; to combine with, or to subject to the action of,...

Ré`au`mur" (r``mr"), a. Of or pertaining to René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur; conformed to the scale adopted by Réaumur in graduating the thermometer he invented. -- n. A Réaum...

2. (U.S. Politics) The act or process of reorganizing the governments of the States which had passed ordinances of secession, and of reëstablishing their constitutional relation...

R (är). R, the eighteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant. It is sometimes called a semivowel, and a liquid. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 178, 179, and 25...

Re*deem" (r?*d?m"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Redeemed. (-d&?;md"); p. pr. & vb. n. Redeeming.] [F. rédimer, L. redimere; pref. red-, re- re- + emere, emptum, to buy, originally, to t...

Re*mit", v. i. 1. To abate in force or in violence; to grow less intense; to become moderated; to abate; to relax; as, a fever remits; the severity of the weather remits.

Chattels real (Law), such chattels as are annexed to, or savor of, the realty, as terms for years of land. See Chattel. -- Real action (Law), an action for the recovery of real...

Reg"let (r?g"l?t), n. [F. réglet, dim. of règle a rule, L. regula. See Rule.] 1. (Arch.) A flat, narrow molding, used chiefly to separate the parts or members of compartments or...

Re*quit"al (-al), n. [From Requite.] The act of requiting; also, that which requites; return, good or bad, for anything done; in a good sense, compensation; recompense; as, the...

2. Specifically :(a) The principles and practices of those in the Church of England, who in the development of the Oxford movement, so-called, have insisted upon a return to the...

Rampant arch. (a) An arch which has one abutment higher than the other. (b) Same as Rampant vault, below. -- Rampant gardant (Her.), rampant, but with the face turned to the fro...

Ring"neck` (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small plovers of the genus Ægialitis, having a ring around the neck. The ring is black in summer, but becomes brown o...

Rou*tine" (?), n. [F., fr. route a path, way, road. See Route, Roterepetition.] 1. A round of business, amusement, or pleasure, daily or frequently pursued; especially, a course...

1. To go over again; to attempt, do, make, or utter again; to iterate; to recite; as, to repeat an effort, an order, or a poem. "I will repeat our former communication." Robynso...

Re*luct" (r?-l?kt"), v. i. [L. reluctari, p. p. reluctatus, to struggle; pref. re- re- + luctari to struggle, fr. lucia a wresting.] To strive or struggle against anything; to m...

Ra"cy (r"s), a. [Compar. Racier (-s*r); superl. Raciest.] [From Race a tribe, family.] 1. Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of...

Raf"fle (rf"f'l), n. [F. rafle; faire rafle to sweep stakes, fr. rafler to carry or sweep away, rafler tout to sweep stakes; of German origin; cf. G. raffeln to snatch up, to ra...

Syn. -- Precipitate; headlong; headstrong; foolhardy; hasty; indiscreet; heedless; thoughtless; incautious; careless; inconsiderate; unwary. -- Rash, Adventurous, Foolhardy. A m...

Ro*man"tic (?), a. [F. romantique, fr. OF. romant. See Romance.] 1. Of or pertaining to romance; involving or resembling romance; hence, fanciful; marvelous; extravagant; unreal...

4. (Navigation) (a) The calculation of a ship's position, either from astronomical observations, or from the record of the courses steered and distances sailed as shown by compa...

Re*fect" (r?*f?kt), v. t. [L. refectus, p. p. of reficere; pref. re- re- + facere to make.] To restore after hunger or fatigue; to refresh. [Archaic] Sir T. Browne.

Re*lease" (r?-l?s"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Released (r?*l?st"); p. pr. & vb. n. Releasing.] [OE. relessen, OF. relassier, to release, to let free. See Relay, n., Relax, and cf. Re...

Rat*tan" (rt*tn"), n. [Malay rtan.] [Written also ratan.] (Bot.) One of the long slender flexible stems of several species of palms of the genus Calamus, mostly East Indian, tho...

Re*gale" (r?*g?l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Regaled (-g?ld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Regaling.] [F. régaler, Sp. regalar to regale, to caress, to melt, perhaps fr. L. regalare to thaw (cff....

Rant (rnt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ranted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ranting.] [OD. ranten, randen, to dote, to be enraged.] To rave in violent, high-sounding, or extravagant language, witho...

||Rou`leau" (?), n.; pl. F. Rouleaux (F. &?;; E. &?;), E. Rouleaus (#). ||[F., a roll, dim. fr. fr. rôle, formerly also spelt roulle. See ||Roll.] A little roll; a roll of coins...

Ra*zee" (r*z"), n. [F. vaisseau rasé, fr. raser to raze, to cut down ships. See Raze, v. t., Rase, v. t.] (Naut.) An armed ship having her upper deck cut away, and thus reduced...

Syn. -- Reform; amendment; correction; rectification. -- Reformation, Reform. Reformation is a more thorough and comprehensive change than reform. It is applied to subjects that...

Ruf"fle, n. [See Ruffle, v. t. & i.] 1. That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace, cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one edge or in the middle, and...

2. (Acoustics) A prolongation or increase of any sound, either by reflection, as in a cavern or apartment the walls of which are not distant enough to return a distinct echo, or...

Roe (?), n. [OE. ro, AS. rh; akin to D. ree, G. reh, Icel. r, SW. rå.] (Zoöl.) (a) A roebuck. See Roebuck. (b) The female of any species of deer.

2. Rightness of principle or practice; exact conformity to truth, or to the rules prescribed for moral conduct, either by divine or human laws; uprightness of mind; uprightness;...

Re`pro*duce" (r?`pr?-d?s"), v. t. To produce again. Especially: (a) To bring forward again; as, to reproduce a witness; to reproduce charges; to reproduce a play. (b) To cause t...

Chuck rib, a cut of beef immediately in front of the middle rib. See Chuck. -- Fore ribs, a cut of beef immediately in front of the sirloin. -- Middle rib, a cut of beef between...

5. (Annuities) A payment which is not to be received, or a benefit which does not begin, until the happening of some event, as the death of a living person. Brande & C.

Running block (Mech.), a block in an arrangement of pulleys which rises or sinks with the weight which is raised or lowered. -- Running board, a narrow platform extending along...

Rope (?), n. [AS. rp; akin to D. reep, G. reif ring hoop, Icel. reip rope, Sw. rep, Dan. reb, reeb Goth. skaudaraip latchet.] 1. A large, stout cord, usually one not less than a...

Ru"ble (?), n. [Russ. ruble.] The unit of monetary value in Russia. It is divided into 100 copecks, and in the gold coin of the realm (as in the five and ten ruble pieces) is wo...

Re"tail (?), n. [F. retaille piece cut off, shred, paring, or OF. retail, from retailler. See Retail, v.] The sale of commodities in small quantities or parcels; -- opposed to w...

Res"i*dent (-dent), a. [F. résident, L. residens, -entis, p. pr. of residere. See Reside.] 1. Dwelling, or having an abode, in a place for a continued length of time; residing o...

2. (Law) A person appointed, ordinarily by a court, to receive, and hold in trust, money or other property which is the subject of litigation, pending the suit; a person appoint...

Rider's bone (Med.), a bony deposit in the muscles of the upper and inner part of the thigh, due to the pressure and irritation caused by the saddle in riding.

Syn. -- Repartee; answer. -- Retort, Repartee. A retort is a short and pointed reply, turning back on an assailant the arguments, censure, or derision he had thrown out. A repar...

10. (Mus.) Silence in music or in one of its parts; the name of the character that stands for such silence. They are named as notes are, whole, half, quarter,etc.

6. (Mil. & Naval) An official account, report, or statement, rendered to the commander or other superior officer; as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of...

Ros"sel cur`rent (?). [From Rossel Island, in the Louisiade Archipelago.] (Oceanography) A portion of the southern equatorial current flowing westward from the Fiji Islands to N...

(c) Sound; noise; as, the report of a pistol or cannon. (d) An official statement of facts, verbal or written; especially, a statement in writing of proceedings and facts exhibi...

Right"-a*bout` (?), n. [Right, adv. + about, adv.] A turning directly about by the right, so as to face in the opposite direction; also, the quarter directly opposite; as, to tu...

Rob"in (?), n. [Properly a pet name for Robert, originally meaning, famebright; F., fron OHG. Roudperht; ruod (in comp.; akin to AS. hr&?;&?; glory, fame, Goth. hr&?;peigs victo...

The Indian, or white, and the Javan rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros Indicus and R. Sondaicus) have incisor and canine teeth, but only one horn, and the very thick skin forms shieldlike...

Re*volve" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Revolved(?); p. pr. & vb. n. Revolving.] [L. revolvere, revolutum; pref. re- re- + volvere to roll, turn round. See Voluble, and cf. Revolt, r...

Ru*ta"ceous (?), a. [L. rutaceous, from ruta rue. See Rue the plant.] (Bot.) Of or pertaining to plants of a natural order (Rutaceæ) of which the rue is the type, and which incl...