Chapter 3

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 rake. See Raff, v.] 1. A kind of lottery, in which several persons pay, in shares, the value of something put up as a stake, and then determine by chance (as by casting dice) which one of them shall become the sole possessor.

2. A game of dice in which he who threw three alike won all the stakes. [Obs.] Cotgrave.

Raf"fle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Raffled (-f'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Raffling (-flng).] To engage in a raffle; as, to raffle for a watch.

Raf"fle, v. t. To dispose of by means of a raffle; -- often followed by off; as, to raffle off a horse.

Raf"fler (rf"flr), n. One who raffles.

||Raf*fle"si*a (rf*fl"zh*), n. [NL. Named from its discoverer, Sir S. ||Raffles.] (Bot.) A genus of stemless, leafless plants, living ||parasitically upon the roots and stems of grapevines in Malaysia. The ||flowers have a carrionlike odor, and are very large, in one species ||(Rafflesia Arnoldi) having a diameter of two or three feet.

Raft (rft), obs. imp. & p. p. of Reave. Spenser.

Raft, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. rfo, rvo, a beam, rafter, Icel. rf roof. Cf. Rafter, n.] 1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float.

2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation. [U.S.]

3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.] A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] "A whole raft of folks." W. D. Howells.

Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together. -- Raft duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] (Zoöl.) (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead. -- Raft port (Naut.), a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.

Raft, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rafting.] To transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make into a raft; as, to raft timber.

Raf"te (rf"te), obs. imp. of Reave. Chaucer.

Raft"er (rft"r), n. A raftsman.

Raft"er, n. [AS. ræfter; akin to E. raft, n. See Raft.] (Arch.) Originally, any rough and somewhat heavy piece of timber. Now, commonly, one of the timbers of a roof which are put on sloping, according to the inclination of the roof. See Illust. of Queen-post.

[Courtesy] oft is sooner found in lowly sheds, With smoky rafters, than in tapestry halls.

Milton.

Raft"er, v. t. 1. To make into rafters, as timber.

2. To furnish with rafters, as a house.

3. (Agric.) To plow so as to turn the grass side of each furrow upon an unplowed ridge; to ridge. [Eng.]

Raft"ing, n. The business of making or managing rafts.

Rafts"man (rfts"man), n.; pl. Raftsmen (-men). A man engaged in rafting.

Raf"ty (rf"t), a. [Perhaps akin to G. reif hoarfrost.] Damp; musty. [Prov. Eng.]

Rag (rg), v. t. [Cf. Icel. rægja to calumniate, OHG. ruogen to accuse, G. rügen to censure, AS. wrgan, Goth. wrhjan to accuse.] To scold or rail at; to rate; to tease; to torment; to banter. [Prov. Eng.] Pegge.

Rag, n. [OE. ragge, probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. rögg a tuft, shagginess, Sw. ragg rough hair. Cf. Rug, n.] 1. A piece of cloth torn off; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred; a tatter; a fragment.

Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tossed. And fluttered into rags.

Milton.

Not having otherwise any rag of legality to cover the shame of their cruelty.

Fuller.

2. pl. Hence, mean or tattered attire; worn-out dress.

And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.

Dryden.

3. A shabby, beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin.

The other zealous rag is the compositor.

B. Jonson.

Upon the proclamation, they all came in, both tag and rag.

Spenser.

4. (Geol.) A coarse kind of rock, somewhat cellular in texture.

5. (Metal Working) A ragged edge.

6. A sail, or any piece of canvas. [Nautical Slang]

Our ship was a clipper with every rag set.

Lowell.

Rag bolt, an iron pin with barbs on its shank to retain it in place. -- Rag carpet, a carpet of which the weft consists of narrow strips of cloth sewed together, end to end. -- Rag dust, fine particles of ground-up rags, used in making papier-maché and wall papers. -- Rag wheel. (a) A chain wheel; a sprocket wheel. (b) A polishing wheel made of disks of cloth clamped together on a mandrel. -- Rag wool, wool obtained by tearing woolen rags into fine bits; shoddy.

Rag (rg), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ragged (rgd); p. pr. & vb. n. Ragging (-gng).] To become tattered. [Obs.]

Rag, v. t. 1. To break (ore) into lumps for sorting.

2. To cut or dress roughly, as a grindstone.

{ Rag"a*bash` (-*bsh`), Rag"a*brash` (-brsh`), } n. An idle, ragged person. Nares. Grose.

Rag`a*muf"fin (-mf"fn), n. [Cf. Ragamofin, the name of a demon in some of the old mysteries.] 1. A paltry or disreputable fellow; a mean wretch. Dryden.

2. A person who wears ragged clothing. [Colloq.]

3. (Zoöl.) The long-tailed titmouse. [Prov. Eng.]

Rage (rj), n. [F., fr. L. rabies, fr. rabere to rave; cf. Skr. rabh to seize, rabhas violence. Cf. Rabid, Rabies, Rave.] 1. Violent excitement; eager passion; extreme vehemence of desire, emotion, or suffering, mastering the will. "In great rage of pain." Bacon.

He appeased the rage of hunger with some scraps of broken meat.

Macaulay.

Convulsed with a rage of grief.

Hawthorne.

2. Especially, anger accompanied with raving; overmastering wrath; violent anger; fury.

Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage.

Milton.

3. A violent or raging wind. [Obs.] Chaucer.

4. The subject of eager desire; that which is sought after, or prosecuted, with unreasonable or excessive passion; as, to be all the rage.

Syn. -- Anger; vehemence; excitement; passion; fury. See Anger.

Rage, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Raged (rjd); p. pr. & vb. n. Raging (r"jng).] [OF. ragier. See Rage, n.]

1. To be furious with anger; to be exasperated to fury; to be violently agitated with passion. "Whereat he inly raged." Milton.

When one so great begins to rage, he is hunted Even to falling.

Shak.

2. To be violent and tumultuous; to be violently driven or agitated; to act or move furiously; as, the raging sea or winds.

Why do the heathen rage?

Ps. ii. 1.

The madding wheels Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise.

Milton.

3. To ravage; to prevail without restraint, or with destruction or fatal effect; as, the plague raged in Cairo.

4. To toy or act wantonly; to sport. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Syn. -- To storm; fret; chafe; fume.

Rage, v. t. To enrage. [Obs.] Shak.

Rage"ful (-fl), a. Full of rage; expressing rage. [Obs.] "Rageful eyes." Sir P. Sidney.

Ra"ger*y (r"jr*), n. Wantonness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Rag"ged (rg"gd), a. [From Rag, n.] 1. Rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken; as, a ragged coat; a ragged sail.

2. Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough; jagged; as, ragged rocks.

3. Hence, harsh and disagreeable to the ear; dissonant. [R.] "A ragged noise of mirth." Herbert.

4. Wearing tattered clothes; as, a ragged fellow.

5. Rough; shaggy; rugged.

What shepherd owns those ragged sheep?

Dryden.

Ragged lady (Bot.), the fennel flower (Nigella Damascena). -- Ragged robin (Bot.), a plant of the genus Lychnis (L. Flos- cuculi), cultivated for its handsome flowers, which have the petals cut into narrow lobes. -- Ragged sailor (Bot.), prince's feather (Polygonum orientale). -- Ragged school, a free school for poor children, where they are taught and in part fed; -- a name given at first because they came in their common clothing. [Eng.]

-- Rag"ged*ly, adv. -- Rag"ged*ness, n.

{ Rag"gie (rg"g), or Rag"gy }, a. Ragged; rough. [Obs.] "A stony and raggie hill." Holland.

||Ragh`u*van"sa (rg`*vn"s), n. [Skr. Raguvaça.] A celebrated Sanskrit ||poem having for its subject the Raghu dynasty.

Ra"ging (r"jng), a. & n. from Rage, v. i. -- Ra"ging*ly, adv.

Ra"gious (r"js), a. Raging; furious; rageful. [Obs.] -- Ra"gious*ness, n. [Obs.]

Rag"lan (rg"lan), n. A loose overcoat with large sleeves; -- named from Lord Raglan, an English general.

Rag"man (-man), n.; pl. Ragmen (-men). A man who collects, or deals in, rags.

Rag"man, n. [See Ragman's roll.] A document having many names or numerous seals, as a papal bull. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

Rag"man's roll` (-manz rl`). [For ragman roll a long list of names, the devil's roll or list; where ragman is of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. ragmenni a craven person, Sw. raggen the devil. Icel. ragmenni is fr. ragr cowardly (another form of argr, akin to AS. earg cowardly, vile, G. arg bad) + menni (in comp.) man, akin to E. man. See Roll, and cf. Rigmarole.] The rolls of deeds on parchment in which the Scottish nobility and gentry subscribed allegiance to Edward I. of England, A. D. 1296. [Also written ragman- roll.]

Ra*gout" (r*g"), n. [F. ragoût, fr. ragoûter to restore one's appetite, fr. L. pref. re- re- + ad to + gustare to taste, gustus taste. See Gust relish.] A dish made of pieces of meat, stewed, and highly seasoned; as, a ragout of mutton.

Rag"pick`er (rg"pk`r), n. One who gets a living by picking up rags and refuse things in the streets.

{ Ra*guled" (r*gld"), Rag*guled" (rg-), } a. [Cf. F. raguer to chafe, fret, rub, or E. rag.] (Her.) Notched in regular diagonal breaks; -- said of a line, or a bearing having such an edge.

<! p. 1185 pr=vmg !>

Rag"weed` (rg"wd`), n. (Bot.) A common American composite weed (Ambrosia artemisiæfolia) with finely divided leaves; hogweed.

Great ragweed, a coarse American herb (Ambrosia trifida), with rough three-lobed opposite leaves.

Rag"work` (-wûrk`), n. (Masonry) A kind of rubblework. In the United States, any rubblework of thin and small stones.

Rag"wort` (-wûrt`), n. (Bot.) A name given to several species of the composite genus Senecio.

Senecio aureus is the golden ragwort of the United States; S. elegans is the purple ragwort of South Africa.

||Ra"ia (r"y), n. [L., a ray. Cf. Ray the fish.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ||rays which includes the skates. See Skate.

||Ra"iæ (r"y), n. pl. [NL. See Raia.] (Zoöl.) The order of elasmobranch ||fishes which includes the sawfishes, skates, and rays; -- called also ||Rajæ, and Rajii.

Raid (rd), n. [Icel. reið a riding, raid; akin to E. road. See Road a way.] 1. A hostile or predatory incursion; an inroad or incursion of mounted men; a sudden and rapid invasion by a cavalry force; a foray.

Marauding chief! his sole delight The moonlight raid, the morning fight.

Sir W. Scott.

There are permanent conquests, temporary occupations, and occasional raids.

H. Spenser.

A Scottish word which came into common use in the United States during the Civil War, and was soon extended in its application.

2. An attack or invasion for the purpose of making arrests, seizing property, or plundering; as, a raid of the police upon a gambling house; a raid of contractors on the public treasury. [Colloq. U. S.]

Raid, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raided; p. pr. & vb. n. Raiding.] To make a raid upon or into; as, two regiments raided the border counties.

Raid"er (-r), n. One who engages in a raid. [U.S.]

Rail (rl), n. [OE. reil, reel, AS. hrægel, hrægl, a garment; akin to OHG. hregil, OFries. hreil.] An outer cloak or covering; a neckerchief for women. Fairholt.

Rail, v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.] To flow forth; to roll out; to course. [Obs.]

Streams of tears from her fair eyes forth railing.

Spenser.

Rail, n. [Akin to LG. & Sw. regel bar, bolt, G. riegel a rail, bar, or bolt, OHG. rigil, rigel, bar, bolt, and possibly to E. row a line.] 1. A bar of timber or metal, usually horizontal or nearly so, extending from one post or support to another, as in fences, balustrades, staircases, etc.

2. (Arch.) A horizontal piece in a frame or paneling. See Illust. of Style.

3. (Railroad) A bar of steel or iron, forming part of the track on which the wheels roll. It is usually shaped with reference to vertical strength, and is held in place by chairs, splices, etc.

4. (Naut.) (a) The stout, narrow plank that forms the top of the bulwarks. (b) The light, fencelike structures of wood or metal at the break of the deck, and elsewhere where such protection is needed.

Rail fence. See under Fence. -- Rail guard. (a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each side for clearing the rail of obstructions. (b) A guard rail. See under Guard. -- Rail joint (Railroad), a splice connecting the adjacent ends of rails, in distinction from a chair, which is merely a seat. The two devices are sometimes united. Among several hundred varieties, the fish joint is standard. See Fish joint, under Fish. -- Rail train (Iron & Steel Manuf.), a train of rolls in a rolling mill, for making rails for railroads from blooms or billets.

Rail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Railed (rld); p. pr. & vb. n. Railing.] 1. To inclose with rails or a railing.

It ought to be fenced in and railed.

Ayliffe.

2. To range in a line. [Obs.]

They were brought to London all railed in ropes, like a team of horses in a cart.

Bacon.

Rail, n. [F. râle, fr. râler to have a rattling in the throat; of German origin, and akin to E. rattle. See Rattle, v.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family Rallidæ, especially those of the genus Rallus, and of closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds.

The common European water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is called also bilcock, skitty coot, and brook runner. The best known American species are the clapper rail, or salt-marsh hen (Rallus longirostris, var. crepitans); the king, or red-breasted, rail (R. elegans) (called also fresh-water marsh-hen); the lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail (R. Virginianus); and the Carolina, or sora, rail (Porzana Carolina). See Sora.

Land rail (Zoöl.), the corncrake.

Rail, v. i. [F. railler; cf. Sp. rallar to grate, scrape, molest; perhaps fr. (assumed) LL. radiculare, fr. L. radere to scrape, grate. Cf. Rally to banter, Rase.] To use insolent and reproachful language; to utter reproaches; to scoff; -- followed by at or against, formerly by on. Shak.

And rail at arts he did not understand.

Dryden.

Lesbia forever on me rails.

Swift.

Rail (rl), v. t. 1. To rail at. [Obs.] Feltham.

2. To move or influence by railing. [R.]

Rail the seal from off my bond.

Shak.

Rail"er (-r), n. One who rails; one who scoffs, insults, censures, or reproaches with opprobrious language.

Rail"ing, a. Expressing reproach; insulting.

Angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them.

2 Pet. ii. 11.

Rail"ing, n. 1. A barrier made of a rail or of rails.

2. Rails in general; also, material for making rails.

Rail"ing*ly, adv. With scoffing or insulting language.

Rail"ler*y (rl"lr* or rl"-; 277), n. [F. raillerie, fr. railler. See Rail to scoff.] Pleasantry or slight satire; banter; jesting language; satirical merriment.

Let raillery be without malice or heat.

B. Jonson.

Studies employed on low objects; the very naming of them is sufficient to turn them into raillery.

Addison.

||Rail`leur" (r`lyr" or r`yr"), n. [F.] A banterer; a jester; a mocker. ||[R.] Wycherley.

{ Rail"road` (rl"rd`), Rail"way` (- w`), } n. 1. A road or way consisting of one or more parallel series of iron or steel rails, patterned and adjusted to be tracks for the wheels of vehicles, and suitably supported on a bed or substructure.

The modern railroad is a development and adaptation of the older tramway.

2. The road, track, etc., with all the lands, buildings, rolling stock, franchises, etc., pertaining to them and constituting one property; as, a certain railroad has been put into the hands of a receiver.

Railway is the commoner word in England; railroad the commoner word in the United States.

In the following and similar phrases railroad and railway are used interchangeably: --

Atmospheric railway, Elevated railway, etc. See under Atmospheric, Elevated, etc. -- Cable railway. See Cable road, under Cable. -- Ferry railway, a submerged track on which an elevated platform runs, for carrying a train of cars across a water course. -- Gravity railway, a railway, in a hilly country, on which the cars run by gravity down gentle slopes for long distances after having been hauled up steep inclines to an elevated point by stationary engines. -- Railway brake, a brake used in stopping railway cars or locomotives. -- Railway car, a large, heavy vehicle with flanged wheels fitted for running on a railway. [U.S.] -- Railway carriage, a railway passenger car. [Eng.] -- Railway scale, a platform scale bearing a track which forms part of the line of a railway, for weighing loaded cars. -- Railway slide. See Transfer table, under Transfer. -- Railway spine (Med.), an abnormal condition due to severe concussion of the spinal cord, such as occurs in railroad accidents. It is characterized by ataxia and other disturbances of muscular function, sensory disorders, pain in the back, impairment of general health, and cerebral disturbance, -- the symptoms often not developing till some months after the injury. -- Underground railroad or railway. (a) A railroad or railway running through a tunnel, as beneath the streets of a city. (b) Formerly, a system of coöperation among certain active antislavery people in the United States, by which fugitive slaves were secretly helped to reach Canada. [In the latter sense railroad, and not railway, was used.] "Their house was a principal entrepôt of the underground railroad." W. D. Howells.

Rail"road`ing, n. The construction of a railroad; the business of managing or operating a railroad. [Colloq. U. S.]

Rai"ment (r"ment), n. [Abbrev. fr. arraiment. See Array.] 1. Clothing in general; vesture; garments; -- usually singular in form, with a collective sense.

Living, both food and raiment she supplies.

Dryden.

2. An article of dress. [R. or Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

Rain (rn), n. & v. Reign. [Obs.] Spenser.

Rain (rn), n. [OE. rein, AS. regen; akin to OFries. rein, D. & G. regen, OS. & OHG. regan, Icel., Dan., & Sw. regn, Goth. rign, and prob. to L. rigare to water, to wet; cf. Gr. bre`chein to wet, to rain.] Water falling in drops from the clouds; the descent of water from the clouds in drops.

Rain is water by the heat of the sun divided into very small parts ascending in the air, till, encountering the cold, it be condensed into clouds, and descends in drops.

Ray.

Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain.

Milton.

Rain is distinguished from mist by the size of the drops, which are distinctly visible. When water falls in very small drops or particles, it is called mist; and fog is composed of particles so fine as to be not only individually indistinguishable, but to float or be suspended in the air. See Fog, and Mist.

Rain band (Meteorol.), a dark band in the yellow portion of the solar spectrum near the sodium line, caused by the presence of watery vapor in the atmosphere, and hence sometimes used in weather predictions. -- Rain bird (Zoöl.), the yaffle, or green woodpecker. [Prov. Eng.] The name is also applied to various other birds, as to Saurothera vetula of the West Indies. -- Rain fowl (Zoöl.), the channel-bill cuckoo (Scythrops Novæ-Hollandiæ) of Australia. -- Rain gauge, an instrument of various forms for measuring the quantity of rain that falls at any given place in a given time; a pluviometer; an ombrometer. -- Rain goose (Zoöl.), the red-throated diver, or loon. [Prov. Eng.] -- Rain prints (Geol.), markings on the surfaces of stratified rocks, presenting an appearance similar to those made by rain on mud and sand, and believed to have been so produced. -- Rain quail. (Zoöl.) See Quail, n., 1. -- Rain water, water that has fallen from the clouds in rain.

Rain, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rained (rnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Raining.] [AS. regnian, akin to G. regnen, Goth. rignjan. See Rain, n.] 1. To fall in drops from the clouds, as water; -- used mostly with it for a nominative; as, it rains.

The rain it raineth every day.

Shak.

2. To fall or drop like water from the clouds; as, tears rained from their eyes.

Rain (rn), v. t. 1. To pour or shower down from above, like rain from the clouds.

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.

Ex. xvi. 4.

2. To bestow in a profuse or abundant manner; as, to rain favors upon a person.

Rain"bow` (-b`), n. [AS. regenboga, akin to G. regenbogen. See Rain, and Bow anything bent.] A bow or arch exhibiting, in concentric bands, the several colors of the spectrum, and formed in the part of the hemisphere opposite to the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of falling rain.

Besides the ordinary bow, called also primary rainbow, which is formed by two refractions and one reflection, there is also another often seen exterior to it, called the secondary rainbow, concentric with the first, and separated from it by a small interval. It is formed by two refractions and two reflections, is much fainter than the primary bow, and has its colors arranged in the reverse order from those of the latter.

Lunar rainbow, a fainter arch or rainbow, formed by the moon. -- Marine rainbow, or Sea bow, a similar bow seen in the spray of waves at sea. -- Rainbow trout (Zoöl.), a bright-colored trout (Salmo irideus), native of the mountains of California, but now extensively introduced into the Eastern States, Japan, and other countries; -- called also brook trout, mountain trout, and golden trout. -- Rainbow wrasse. (Zoöl.) See under Wrasse. -- Supernumerary rainbow, a smaller bow, usually of red and green colors only, sometimes seen within the primary or without the secondary rainbow, and in contact with them.

Rain"bowed` (-bd`), a. Formed with or like a rainbow.

Rain"deer` (-dr`), n. (Zoöl.) See Reindeer. [Obs.]

Rain"drop` (-drp`), n. A drop of rain.

Rain"fall` (rn"fl`), n. A fall or descent of rain; the water, or amount of water, that falls in rain; as, the average annual rainfall of a region.

Supplied by the rainfall of the outer ranges of Sinchul and Singaleleh.

Hooker.

Rain"i*ness (-*ns), n. The state of being rainy.

Rain"less, a. Destitute of rain; as, a rainless region.

Rain"-tight` (-tt`), a. So tight as to exclude rain; as, a rain-tight roof.

Rain"y (-), a. [AS. regenig.] Abounding with rain; wet; showery; as, rainy weather; a rainy day or season.

Raip (rp), n. [Cf. Icel. reip rope. Cf. Rope.] A rope; also, a measure equal to a rod. [Scot.]

Rais (rs), n. Same as 2d Reis.

Rais"a*ble (rz"*b'l), a. Capable of being raised.

Raise (rz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raised (rzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Raising.] [OE. reisen, Icel. reisa, causative of rsa to rise. See Rise, and cf. Rear to raise.]

1. To cause to rise; to bring from a lower to a higher place; to lift upward; to elevate; to heave; as, to raise a stone or weight. Hence, figuratively: --

(a) To bring to a higher condition or situation; to elevate in rank, dignity, and the like; to increase the value or estimation of; to promote; to exalt; to advance; to enhance; as, to raise from a low estate; to raise to office; to raise the price, and the like.

This gentleman came to be raised to great titles.

Clarendon.

The plate pieces of eight were raised three pence in the piece.

Sir W. Temple.

(b) To increase the strength, vigor, or vehemence of; to excite; to intensify; to invigorate; to heighten; as, to raise the pulse; to raise the voice; to raise the spirits or the courage; to raise the heat of a furnace.