The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section R
Chapter 44
Rit"u*al, n. [Cf. F. rituel.] 1. A prescribed form of performing divine service in a particular church or communion; as, the Jewish ritual.
2. Hence, the code of ceremonies observed by an organization; as, the ritual of the freemasons.
3. A book containing the rites to be observed.
Rit"u*al*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. ritualisme.] 1. A system founded upon a ritual or prescribed form of religious worship; adherence to, or observance of, a ritual.
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 use in church services of the symbolic ornaments (altar cloths, encharistic vestments, candles, etc.) that were sanctioned in the second year of Edward VI., and never, as they maintain, forbidden by competennt authority, although generally disused. Schaff-Herzog Encyc. (b) Also, the principles and practices of those in the Protestant Episcopal Church who sympathize with this party in the Church of England.
Rit"u*al*ist (?), n. [CF. F. ritualiste.] One skilled un, or attached to, a ritual; one who advocates or practices ritualism.
Rit`u*al*is"tic (?), a. Pertaining to, or in accordance with, a ritual; adhering to ritualism.
Rit"u*al*ly, adv. By rites, or by a particular rite.
Riv"age (?), n. [F., fr. L. ripa bank, shore.] 1. A bank, shore, or coast. [Archaic] Spenser.
From the green rivage many a fall Of diamond rillets musical.
Tennyson.
2. (O.Eng.Law) A duty paid to the crown for the passage of vessels on certain rivers.
Ri"val (?), n. [F. rival (cf. It. rivale), L. rivales two neigbors having the same brook in common, rivals, fr. rivalis belonging to a brook, fr. rivus a brook. Cf. Rivulet, Rete.] 1. A person having a common right or privilege with another; a partner. [Obs.]
If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.
Shak.
2. One who is in pursuit of the same object as another; one striving to reach or obtain something which another is attempting to obtain, and which one only can posses; a competitor; as, rivals in love; rivals for a crown.
"Rivals, in the primary sense of the word, are those who dwell on the banks of the same stream. But since, as all experience shows, there is no such fruitful source of coutention as a water right, it would continually happen that these occupants of the opposite banks would be at strife with one another in regard of the periods during which they severally had a right to the use of the stream . . . And thus 'rivals' . . . came to be used of any who were on any grounds in more or less unfriendly competition with one another." Trench.
Syn. -- Competitor; emulator; antagonist.
Ri"val, a. Having the same pretensions or claims; standing in competition for superiority; as, rival lovers; rival claims or pretensions.
The strenuous conflicts and alternate victories of two rival confederacies of statesmen.
Macaulay.
Ri"val, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rivaled (?) or Rivalled; p. pr. & vb. n. Rivaling or Rivalling.] 1. To stand in competition with; to strive to gain some object in opposition to; as, to rival one in love.
2. To strive to equal or exel; to emulate.
To rival thunder in its rapid course.
Dryden.
Ri"val, v. i. To be in rivalry. [Obs.] Shak.
Ri"val*ess, n. A female rival. [Obs.] Richardson.
Ri*val"i*ty (?), n. [L. rivalitas: cf. F. rivalité.] 1. Rivalry; competition. [Obs.]
2. Equality, as of right or rank. [Obs.] hak.
Ri"val*ry (?), n.; pl. Rivalries (&?;). The act of rivaling, or the state of being a rival; a competition. "Keen contention and eager rivalries." Jeffrey.
Syn. -- Emulation; competition. See Emulation.
Ri"val*ship, n. Rivalry. [R.] B. Jonson.
Rive (?), v. t. [imp. Rived (?); p. p. Rived or Riven (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Riving.] [Icel. rfa, akin to Sw. rifva to pull asunder, burst, tear, Dan. rive to rake, pluck, tear. Cf. Reef of land, Rifle a gun, Rift, Rivel.] To rend asunder by force; to split; to cleave; as, to rive timber for rails or shingles.
I shall ryve him through the sides twain.
Chaucer.
The scolding winds have rived the knotty oaks.
Shak.
Brutus hath rived my heart.
Shak.
Rive, v. i. To be split or rent asunder.
Freestone rives, splits, and breaks in any direction.
Woodward.
Rive, n. A place torn; a rent; a rift. [Prov. Eng.]
Riv"el (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Riveled (?);p. pr. & vb. n. Riveling.] [AS. gerifled, geriflod, gerifod, wrinkled, geriflian, gerifian, to wrinkle. See Rifle a gun, Rive.] To contract into wrinkles; to shrivel; to shrink; as, riveled fruit; riveled flowers. [Obs.] Pope. "Riveled parchments." Walpole.
Riv"el, n. A wrinkle; a rimple. [Obs.] Holland.
Riv"en (?), p. p. & a. from Rive.
Riv"er (?), n. One who rives or splits.
Riv"er (?), n. [F. rivère a river, LL. riparia river, bank of a river, fr. L. riparius belonging to a bank or shore, fr. ripa a bank or shore; of uncertain origin. Cf. Arrive, Riparian.] 1. A large stream of water flowing in a bed or channel and emptying into the ocean, a sea, a lake, or another stream; a stream larger than a rivulet or brook.
Transparent and sparkling rivers, from which it is delightful to drink as they flow.
Macaulay.
2. Fig.: A large stream; copious flow; abundance; as, rivers of blood; rivers of oil.
River chub (Zoöl.), the hornyhead and allied species of fresh-water fishes. -- River crab (Zoöl.), any species of fresh-water crabs of the genus Thelphusa, as T. depressa of Southern Europe. -- River dragon, a crocodile; -- applied by Milton to the king of Egypt. -- River driver, a lumberman who drives or conducts logs down rivers. Bartlett. -- River duck (Zoöl.), any species of duck belonging to Anas, Spatula, and allied genera, in which the hind toe is destitute of a membranous lobe, as in the mallard and pintail; -- opposed to sea duck. -- River god, a deity supposed to preside over a river as its tutelary divinity. -- River herring (Zoöl.), an alewife. -- River hog. (Zoöl.) (a) Any species of African wild hogs of the genus Potamochœrus. They frequent wet places along the rivers. (b) The capybara. -- River horse (Zoöl.), the hippopotamus. -- River jack (Zoöl.), an African puff adder (Clotho nasicornis) having a spine on the nose. -- River limpet (Zoöl.), a fresh-water, air-breathing mollusk of the genus Ancylus, having a limpet-shaped shell. -- River pirate (Zoöl.), the pike. -- River snail (Zoöl.), any species of fresh-water gastropods of Paludina, Melontho, and allied genera. See Pond snail, under Pond. -- River tortoise (Zoöl.), any one of numerous fresh-water tortoises inhabiting rivers, especially those of the genus Trionyx and allied genera. See Trionyx.
Riv"er (?), v. i. To hawk by the side of a river; to fly hawks at river fowl. [Obs.] Halliwell.
Riv"ered (?), a. Supplied with rivers; as, a well rivered country.
Riv"er*et (?), n. A rivulet. [Obs.] Drayton.
Riv"er*hood (?), n. The quality or state of being a river. "Useful riverhood." H. Miller.
Riv"er*ling (?), n. A rivulet. [R.] Sylvester.
Riv"er*side` (?), n. The side or bank of a river.
Riv"er*y (?), a. Having rivers; as, a rivery country. Drayton.
Riv"et (?), n. [F., fr. river to rivet; perh. fr. Icel. rifa to fasten together. Cf. Reef part of a sail.] A metallic pin with a head, used for uniting two plates or pieces of material together, by passing it through them and then beating or pressing down the point so that it shall spread out and form a second head; a pin or bolt headed or clinched at both ends.
With busy hammers closing rivets up.
Shak.
Rivet joint, or Riveted joint, a joint between two or more pieces secured by rivets.
Riv"et, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Riveted; p. pr. & vb. n. Riveting.] 1. To fasten with a rivet, or with rivets; as, to rivet two pieces of iron.
2. To spread out the end or point of, as of a metallic pin, rod, or bolt, by beating or pressing, so as to form a sort of head.
3. Hence, to fasten firmly; to make firm, strong, or immovable; as, to rivet friendship or affection.
Rivet and nail me where I stand, ye powers!
Congreve.
Thus his confidence was riveted and confirmed.
Sir W. Scott.
Riv"et*er (?), n. One who rivets.
Riv"et*ing, n. 1. The act of joining with rivets; the act of spreading out and clinching the end, as of a rivet, by beating or pressing.
2. The whole set of rivets, collectively. Tomlinsin.
Butt riveting, riveting in which the ends or edges of plates form a butt joint, and are fastened together by being riveted to a narrow strip which covers the joint. -- Chain riveting, riveting in which the rivets, in two or more rows along the seam, are set one behind the other. -- Crossed riveting, riveting in which the rivets in one row are set opposite the spaces between the rivets in the next row. -- Double riveting, in lap riveting, two rows of rivets along the seam; in butt riveting, four rows, two on each side of the joint. -- Lap riveting, riveting in which the ends or edges of plates overlap and are riveted together.
Ri*vose" (?), a. [From L. rivus a brook, channel.] Marked with sinuate and irregular furrows.
Riv"u*let (?), n. [Earlier rivolet, It. rivoletto, a dim. fr. rivolo, L. rivulus, dim. of rivus a brook. CF. Rival, Rite.] A small stream or brook; a streamlet.
By fountain or by shady rivulet He sought them.
Milton.
Rix*a"tion (?), n. [L. rixari, p. p. rixatus, to brawl, fr. rixa a quarrel.] A brawl or quarrel. [Obs.]
||Rix*a"trix (?), n. [L.] (Old Eng. Law) A scolding or quarrelsome ||woman; a scold. Burrill.
||Rix"da`ler (?), n. A Dutch silver coin, worth about $1.00.
Rix"-dol`lar (?), n. [Sw. riksdaler, or Dan. rigsdaler, or D. rijksdaalder, or G. reichsthaler, literally, dollar of the empire or realm, fr. words akin to E. rich, and dollar. See Rich, Dollar.] A name given to several different silver coins of Denmark, Holland, Sweden,, NOrway, etc., varying in value from about 30 cents to $1.10; also, a British coin worth about 36 cents, used in Ceylon and at the Cape of Good Hope. See Rigsdaler, Riksdaler, and Rixdaler.
Most of these pieces are now no longer coined, but some remain in circulation.
Riz"zar (?), v. t. [Etymol. uncertain.] To dry in the sun; as, rizzared haddock. [Scot.]
Roach (?), n. (Zoöl.) A cockroach.
Roach, n. [OE. rroche; cf. AS. reohha, D. rog, roch, G. roche, LG. ruche, Dan. rokke ray, Sw. rocka, and E. ray a fish.] 1. (Zoöl.) (a) A European fresh-water fish of the Carp family (Leuciscus rutilus). It is silver-white, with a greenish back. (b) An American chub (Semotilus bullaris); the fallfish. (c) The redfin, or shiner.
2. (Naut.) A convex curve or arch cut in the edge of a sail to prevent chafing, or to secure a better fit.
As sound as a roach [roach perhaps being a corruption of a F. roche a rock], perfectly sound.
Roach, v. t. 1. To cause to arch.
2. To cut off, as a horse's mane, so that the part left shall stand upright.
Roach"-backed` (?), a. Having a back like that of roach; -- said of a horse whose back a convex instead of a concave curve.
Road (?), n. [AS. rd a riding, that on which one rides or travels, a road, fr. rdan to ride. See Ride, and cf. Raid.] 1. A journey, or stage of a journey. [Obs.]
With easy roads he came to Leicester.
Shak.
2. An inroad; an invasion; a raid. [Obs.] Spenser.
3. A place where one may ride; an open way or public passage for vehicles, persons, and animals; a track for travel, forming a means of communication between one city, town, or place, and another.
The most villainous house in all the London road.
Shak.
The word is generally applied to highways, and as a generic term it includes highway, street, and lane.
4. [Possibly akin to Icel. reiði the rigging of a ship, E. ready.] A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the plural; as, Hampton Roads. Shak.
<! p. 1246 !>
Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners, For we be come unto a quiet rode [road].
Spenser.
On, or Upon, the road, traveling or passing over a road; coming or going; on the way.
My hat and wig will soon be here, They are upon the road.
Cowper.
-- Road agent, a highwayman, especially on the stage routes of the unsettled western parts of the United States; -- a humorous euphemism. [Western U.S.]
The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly called.
The century.
-- Road book, a guidebook in respect to roads and distances. -- Road metal, the broken, stone used in macadamizing roads. -- Road roller, a heavy roller, or combinations of rollers, for making earth, macadam, or concrete roads smooth and compact. -- often driven by steam. -- Road runner (Zoöl.), the chaparral cock. -- Road steamer, a locomotive engine adapted to running on common roads. -- To go on the road, to engage in the business of a commercial traveler. [Colloq.] -- To take the road, to begin or engage in traveling. -- To take to the road, to engage in robbery upon the highways.
Syn. -- Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage; course. See Way.
Road"bed` (?), n. In railroads, the bed or foundation on which the superstructure (ties, rails, etc.) rests; in common roads, the whole material laid in place and ready for travel.
Road"less, a. Destitute of roads.
Road"mak`er (?), n. One who makes roads.
Road"side`, n. Land adjoining a road or highway; the part of a road or highway that borders the traveled part. Also used ajectively.
Road"stead (?), n. [Road, 4 + stead a place.] An anchorage off shore. Same as Road, 4.
Moored in the neighboring roadstead.
Longfellow.
Road"ster (?), n. 1. (Naut.) A clumsy vessel that works its way from one anchorage to another by means of the tides. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
2. A horse that is accustomed to traveling on the high road, or is suitable for use on ordinary roads.
A sound, swift, well-fed hunter and roadster.
Thackeray.
3. A bicycle or tricycle adapted for common roads rather than for the racing track.
4. One who drives much; a coach driver. [Eng.]
5. A hunter who keeps to the roads instead of following the hounds across country. [Eng. Slang.]
Road"way` (?), n. A road; especially, the part traveled by carriages. Shak.
Roam (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Roamed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Roaming.] [OE. romen, ramen; cf. AS. r&?;man to raise, rise, D. ramen to hit, plan, aim, OS. r&?;m&?;n to strive after, OHG. rmen. But the word was probably influenced by Rome; cf. OF. romier a pilgrim, originally, a pilgrim going to Rome, It. romeo, Sp. romero. Cf. Ramble.] To go from place to place without any certain purpose or direction; to rove; to wander.
He roameth to the carpenter's house.
Chaucer.
Daphne roaming through a thorny wood.
Shak.
Syn. -- To wander; rove; range; stroll; ramble.
Roam, v. t. To range or wander over.
And now wild beasts came forth the woods to roam.
Milton.
Roam, n. The act of roaming; a wandering; a ramble; as, he began his roam o'er hill amd dale. Milton.
Roam"er (?), n. One who roams; a wanderer.
Roan (?), a. [F. rouan; cf. Sp. roano, ruano, It. rovano, roano.] 1. Having a bay, chestnut, brown, or black color, with gray or white thickly interspersed; -- said of a horse.
Give my roan a drench.
Shak.
2. Made of the leather called roan; as, roan binding.
Roan antelope (Zoöl.), a very large South African antelope (Hippotragus equinus). It has long sharp horns and a stiff bright brown mane. Called also mahnya, equine antelope, and bastard gemsbok.
Roan, n. 1. The color of a roan horse; a roan color.
2. A roan horse.
3. A kind of leather used for slippers, bookbinding, etc., made from sheepskin, tanned with sumac and colored to imitate ungrained morocco. DeColange.
Roan tree. (Bot.) See Rowan tree.
Roar (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Roared (?); p. pr. & vvb. n. Roaring.] [OE. roren, raren, AS. rrian; akin to G. röhten, OHG. r&?;r&?;n. √112.] 1. To cry with a full, loud, continued sound. Specifically: (a) To bellow, or utter a deep, loud cry, as a lion or other beast.
Roaring bulls he would him make to tame.
Spenser.
(b) To cry loudly, as in pain, distress, or anger.
Sole on the barren sands, the suffering chief Roared out for anguish, and indulged his grief.
Dryden.
He scorned to roar under the impressions of a finite anger.
South.
2. To make a loud, confused sound, as winds, waves, passing vehicles, a crowd of persons when shouting together, or the like.
The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar.
Milton.
How oft I crossed where carts and coaches roar.
Gay.
3. To be boisterous; to be disorderly.
It was a mad, roaring time, full of extravagance.
Bp. Burnet.
4. To laugh out loudly and continuously; as, the hearers roared at his jokes.
5. To make a loud noise in breathing, as horses having a certain disease. See Roaring, 2.
Roaring boy, a roaring, noisy fellow; -- name given, at the latter end Queen Elizabeth's reign, to the riotous fellows who raised disturbances in the street. "Two roaring boys of Rome, that made all split." Beau. & Fl. -- Roaring forties (Naut.), a sailor's name for the stormy tract of ocean between 40° and 50° north latitude.
Roar, v. t. To cry aloud; to proclaim loudly.
This last action will roar thy infamy.
Ford.
Roar (?), n. The sound of roaring. Specifically: (a) The deep, loud cry of a wild beast; as, the roar of a lion. (b) The cry of one in pain, distress, anger, or the like. (c) A loud, continuous, and confused sound; as, the roar of a cannon, of the wind, or the waves; the roar of ocean.
Arm! arm! it is, it is the cannon's opening roar!
Byron.
(d) A boisterous outcry or shouting, as in mirth.
Pit, boxes, and galleries were in a constant roar of laughter.
Macaulay.
Roar"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, roars. Specifically: (a) A riotous fellow; a roaring boy.
A lady to turn roarer, and break glasses.
Massinger.
(b) (Far.) A horse subject to roaring. See Roaring, 2.
2. (Zoöl.) The barn owl. [Prov. Eng.]
Roar"ing, n. 1. A loud, deep, prolonged sound, as of a large beast, or of a person in distress, anger, mirth, etc., or of a noisy congregation.
2. (Far.) An affection of the windpipe of a horse, causing a loud, peculiar noise in breathing under exertion; the making of the noise so caused. See Roar, v. i., 5.
Roar"ing*ly, adv. In a roaring manner.
Roast (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Roasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Roasting.] [OE. rosten, OF. rostir, F. rôtir; of German origin; cf. OHG. rsten, G. rösten, fr. OHG. rst, rsta, gridiron, G. rost; cf. AS. hyrstan to roast.] 1. To cook by exposure to radiant heat before a fire; as, to roast meat on a spit, or in an oven open toward the fire and having reflecting surfaces within; also, to cook in a close oven.
2. To cook by surrounding with hot embers, ashes, sand, etc.; as, to roast a potato in ashes.
In eggs boiled and roasted there is scarce difference to be discerned.
BAcon.
3. To dry and parch by exposure to heat; as, to roast coffee; to roast chestnuts, or peanuts.
4. Hence, to heat to excess; to heat violently; to burn. "Roasted in wrath and fire." Shak.
5. (Metal.) To dissipate by heat the volatile parts of, as ores.
6. To banter severely. [Colloq.] Atterbury.
Roast, v. i. 1. To cook meat, fish, etc., by heat, as before the fire or in an oven.
He could roast, and seethe, and broil, and fry.
Chaucer.
2. To undergo the process of being roasted.
Roast, n. That which is roasted; a piece of meat which has been roasted, or is suitable for being roasted.
A fat swan loved he best of any roost [roast].
Chaucer.
To rule the roast, to be at the head of affairs. "The new-made duke that rules the roast." Shak.
Roast, a. [For roasted.] Roasted; as, roast beef.
Roast"er (?), n. 1. One who roasts meat.
2. A contrivance for roasting.
3. A pig, or other article of food fit for roasting.
Roast"ing, a. & n., from Roast, v.
Roasting ear, an ear of Indian corn at that stage of development when it is fit to be eaten roasted. -- Roasting jack, a machine for turning a spit on which meat is roasted.
Rob (?), n. [F.; cf. Sp. rob, It. rob, robbo, Pg. robe, arrobe, Ar. rubb, robb, Per. rub.] The inspissated juice of ripe fruit, obtained by evaporation of the juice over a fire till it acquires the consistence of a sirup. It is sometimes mixed with honey or sugar. [Written also rhob, and rohob.]
Rob, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Robbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Robbing.] [OF. rober, of German origin; cf. OHG. roub&?;n, G. rauben, and OHG. roub robbing, booty, G. raub. √114. See Reave,and cf. Robe.] 1. To take (something) away from by force; to strip by stealing; to plunder; to pillage; to steal from.
Who would rob a hermit of his weeds, His few books, or his beads, or maple dish?
Milton.
He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen, Let him not know it, and he's not robbed at all.
Shak.
To be executed for robbing a church.
Shak.
2. (Law) To take the property of (any one) from his person, or in his presence, feloniously, and against his will, by violence or by putting him in fear.
3. To deprive of, or withhold from, unjustly or injuriously; to defraud; as, to rob one of his rest, or of his good name; a tree robs the plants near it of sunlight.
I never robbed the soldiers of their pay.
Shak.
Rob, v. i. To take that which belongs to another, without right or permission, esp. by violence.
I am accursed to rob in that thief's company.
Shak.
Rob"and (?), n. (Naut.) See Roperand.
Rob"ber (?), n. One who robs; in law, one who feloniously takes goods or money from the person of another by violence or by putting him in fear.
Some roving robber calling to his fellows.
Milton.
Syn. -- Thief; depredator; despoiler; plunderer; pillager; rifler; brigang; freebooter; pirate. See Thief.
Robber crab. (Zoöl.) (a) A purse crab. (b) Any hermit crab. -- Robber fly. (Zoöl.) Same as Hornet fly, under Hornet. -- Robber gull (Zoöl.), a jager gull.
Rob"ber*y (?), n.; pl. Robberies (#). [OF. roberie.] 1. The act or practice of robbing; theft.
Thieves for their robbery have authority When judges steal themselves.
Shak.
2. (Law) The crime of robbing. See Rob, v. t., 2.
Robbery, in a strict sense, differs from theft, as it is effected by force or intimidation, whereas theft is committed by stealth, or privately.
Syn. -- Theft; depredation; spoliation; despoliation; despoilment; plunder; pillage; rapine; larceny; freebooting; piracy.
Rob"bin (?), n. (Com.) A kind of package in which pepper and other dry commodities are sometimes exported from the East Indies. The robbin of rice in Malabar weighs about 84 pounds. Simmonds.
Rob"bin, n. (Naut.) See Ropeband.
Robe (?), n. [F., fr. LL. rauba a gown, dress, garment; originally, booty, plunder. See Rob, v. t., and cf. Rubbish.] 1. An outer garment; a dress of a rich, flowing, and elegant style or make; hence, a dress of state, rank, office, or the like.
Through tattered clothes small vices do appear; Robes and furred gowns hide all.
Shak.
2. A skin of an animal, especially, a skin of the bison, dressed with the fur on, and used as a wrap. [U.S.]
Master of the robes, an officer of the English royal household (when the sovereign is a king) whose duty is supposed to consist in caring for the royal robes. -- Mistress of the robes, a lady who enjoys the highest rank of the ladies in the service of the English sovereign (when a queen), and is supposed to have the care her robes.
Robe (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Robed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Robing.] To invest with a robe or robes; to dress; to array; as, fields robed with green.
The sage Chaldeans robed in white appeared.
Pope.
Such was his power over the expression of his countenance, that he could in an instant shake off the sternness of winter, and robe it in the brightest smiles of spring.
Wirt.
||Robe`-de-cham"bre (?), n. [F., lit., a chamber gown.] A dressing ||gown, or morning gown.