Rapt Rapt adjective 1. Snatched away; hurried away or along.

Waters rapt with whirling away.

Spenser.

2. Transported with love, admiration, delight, etc.; enraptured. "The rapt musician." Longfellow.

3. Wholly absorbed or engrossed, as in work or meditation. " Rapt in secret studies." Shak.

Rapt Rapt noun [ From French rapt abduction, rape, Latin raptus , from rapere to seize and carry off, to transport; or from English rapt , adjective See Rapt , adjective , and Rapid .] 1. An ecstasy; a trance. [ Obsolete] Bp. Morton.

2. Rapidity. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne.

Rapt Rapt transitive verb 1. To transport or ravish. [ Obsolete] Drayton.

2. To carry away by force. [ Obsolete] Daniel.

Rapter Rap"ter (răp"tẽr) noun A raptor. [ Obsolete] Drayton.

Raptor Rap"tor (răp"tẽr) noun [ Latin raptor , from rapere to ravish. See Rapid .] A ravisher; a plunderer. [ Obsolete]

Raptores Rap·to"res (răp*tō"rēz) noun plural [ New Latin See Raptor .] (Zoology) Same as Accipitres . Called also Raptatores .

Raptorial Rap·to"ri·al (-rĭ* a l) adjective (Zoology) (a) Rapacious; living upon prey; -- said especially of certain birds. (b) Adapted for seizing prey; -- said of the legs, claws, etc., of insects, birds, and other animals. (c) Of or pertaining to the Raptores. See Illust. (f) of Aves .

Raptorious Rap·to"ri·ous (-ŭs) adjective [ Latin raptorius .] (Zoology) Raptorial.

Rapture Rap"ture (răp"tur; 135) noun [ Latin rapere , raptum , to carry off by force. See Rapid .] 1. A seizing by violence; a hurrying along; rapidity with violence. [ Obsolete]

That 'gainst a rock, or flat, her keel did dash
With headlong rapture .

Chapman.

2. The state or condition of being rapt, or carried away from one's self by agreeable excitement; violence of a pleasing passion; extreme joy or pleasure; ecstasy.

Music, when thus applied, raises in the mind of the hearer great conceptions; it strengthens devotion, and advances praise into rapture .

Addison.

You grow correct that once with rapture writ.

Pope.

3. A spasm; a fit; a syncope; delirium. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Syn. -- Bliss; ecstasy; transport; delight; exultation.

Rapture Rap"ture transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Raptured (-turd; 135); present participle & verbal noun Rapturing .] To transport with excitement; to enrapture. [ Poetic] Thomson.

Rapturist Rap"tur·ist noun An enthusiast. [ Obsolete] J. Spencer.

Rapturize Rap"tur·ize (-īz) transitive verb & i. To put, or be put, in a state of rapture. [ R.]

Rapturous Rap"tur·ous (-ŭs) adjective Ecstatic; transporting; ravishing; feeling, expressing, or manifesting rapture; as, rapturous joy, pleasure, or delight; rapturous applause.

Rapturously Rap"tur·ous·ly adverb In a rapturous manner.

Rare Rare (râr) adjective [ Confer Rather , Rath .] Early. [ Obsolete]

Rude mechanicals that rare and late
Work in the market place.

Chapman.

Rare Rare adjective [ Compar. Rarer (râr"ẽr); superl. Rarest .] [ Confer Anglo-Saxon hrēr , or English rare early. √18.] Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton.

New-laid eggs, which Baucis' busy care
Turned by a gentle fire, and roasted rare .

Dryden.

» This word is in common use in the United States, but in England its synonym underdone is preferred.

Rare Rare adjective [ Compar. Rarer (râr"ẽr); superl. Rarest .] [ French, from Latin rarus thin, rare.] 1. Not frequent; seldom met with or occurring; unusual; as, a rare event.

2. Of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a degree seldom found.

Rare work, all filled with terror and delight.

Cowley.

Above the rest I judge one beauty rare .

Dryden.

3. Thinly scattered; dispersed.

Those rare and solitary, these in flocks.

Milton.

4. Characterized by wide separation of parts; of loose texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere at high elevations.

Water is nineteen times lighter, and by consequence nineteen times rarer , than gold.

Sir I. Newton.

Syn. -- Scarce; infrequent; unusual; uncommon; singular; extraordinary; incomparable. -- Rare , Scarce . We call a thing rare when but few examples, specimens, or instances of it are ever to be met with; as, a rare plant. We speak of a thing as scarce , which, though usually abundant, is for the time being to be had only in diminished quantities; as, a bad harvest makes corn scarce .

A perfect union of wit and judgment is one of the rarest things in the world.

Burke.

When any particular piece of money grew very scarce , it was often recoined by a succeeding emperor.

Addison.

Rarebit Rare"bit (râr"bĭt) noun A dainty morsel; a Welsh rabbit. See Welsh rabbit , under Rabbit .

Raree-show Rar"ee-show` (râr"e-shō`) noun [ Contr. from rarity-show .] A show carried about in a box; a peep show. Pope.

Rarefaction Rar`e·fac"tion (răr`e*făk"shŭn) noun [ Confer French raréfaction . See Rarefy .] The act or process of rarefying; the state of being rarefied; -- opposed to condensation ; as, the rarefaction of air.

Rarefiable Rar"e·fi`a·ble (răr"e*fī`ȧ*b'l) adjective [ Confer French raréfiable .] Capable of being rarefied. Boyle.

Rarefy Rar"e·fy (răr"e*fī; 277) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Rarefied (- fīd); present participle & verbal noun Rarefying (- fī`ĭng).] [ French raréfier ; Latin rarus rare + -ficare (in comp.) to make; confer Latin rarefacere . See -fy .] To make rare, thin, porous, or less dense; to expand or enlarge without adding any new portion of matter to; -- opposed to condense .

Rarefy Rar"e·fy intransitive verb To become less dense; to become thin and porous. "Earth rarefies to dew." Dryden.

Rarely Rare"ly (râr"lȳ) adverb 1. In a rare manner or degree; seldom; not often; as, things rarely seen.

2. Finely; excellently; with rare skill. See 3d Rare , 2.

The person who played so rarely on the flageolet.

Sir W. Scott.

The rest of the apartments are rarely gilded.

Evelyn.

Rareness Rare"ness noun The state or quality of being rare.

And let the rareness the small gift commend.

Dryden.

Rareripe Rare"ripe` (-rīp`) adjective [ Rare early + ripe . Confer Rathripe .] Early ripe; ripe before others, or before the usual season.

Rareripe Rare"ripe` noun An early ripening fruit, especially a kind of freestone peach.

Rarification Rar`i·fi·ca"tion (răr`ĭ*fĭ*kā"shŭn) noun See Rarefaction . [ R.] Am. Chem. Journal.

Rarity Rar"i·ty (răr"ĭ*tȳ; 277) noun ; plural Rarities (- tĭz). [ Latin raritas : confer French rareté . See Rare .] 1. The quality or state of being rare; rareness; thinness; as, the rarity (contrasted with the density ) of gases.

2. That which is rare; an uncommon thing; a thing valued for its scarcity.

I saw three rarities of different kinds, which pleased me more than any other shows in the place.

Addison.

Ras Ras (räs) noun See 2d Reis .

Rasante Ra`sante" (rȧ`zäNt") adjective [ French, present participle of raser to graze.] (Fort.) Sweeping; grazing; -- applied to a style of fortification in which the command of the works over each other, and over the country, is kept very low, in order that the shot may more effectually sweep or graze the ground before them. H. Latin Scott.

Rascal Ras"cal (răs"k a l) noun [ Middle English rascaille rabble, probably from an Old French racaille , French racaille the rabble, rubbish, probably akin to French racler to scrape, (assumed) Late Latin rasiculare , rasicare , from Latin radere , rasum . See Rase , v. ]

1. One of the rabble; a low, common sort of person or creature; collectively, the rabble; the common herd; also, a lean, ill-conditioned beast, esp. a deer. [ Obsolete]

He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the rascal .

Wyclif (1 Kings [ 1 Samuel] vi. 19).

Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them [ horns] as huge as the rascal .

Shak.

2. A mean, trickish fellow; a base, dishonest person; a rogue; a scoundrel; a trickster.

For I have sense to serve my turn in store,
And he's a rascal who pretends to more.

Dryden.

Rascal Ras"cal adjective Of or pertaining to the common herd or common people; low; mean; base. "The rascal many." Spenser. "The rascal people." Shak.

While she called me rascal fiddler.

Shak.

Rascaldom Ras"cal·dom (-dŭm) noun State of being a rascal; rascality; domain of rascals; rascals, collectively. Emerson.

Rascaless Ras"cal·ess noun A female rascal. [ Humorous]

Rascality Ras·cal"i·ty (răs*kăl"ĭ*tȳ) noun ; plural Rascalities (- tĭz).

1. The quality or state of being rascally, or a rascal; mean trickishness or dishonesty; base fraud.

2. The poorer and lower classes of people. [ Obsolete]

The chief heads of their clans with their several rascalities .

T. Jackson.

Rascallion Ras·cal"lion (răs*kăl"yŭn) noun [ From Rascal .] A low, mean wretch. [ Written also rascalion .]

Rascally Ras"cal·ly (răs"k a l*lȳ) adjective Like a rascal; trickish or dishonest; base; worthless; -- often in humorous disparagement, without implication of dishonesty.

Our rascally porter is fallen fast asleep.

Swift.

Rase Rase (rāz) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Rased (rāzd); present participle & verbal noun Rasing .] [ French raser , Late Latin rasare to scrape often, v. freq. from Latin radere , rasum , to scrape, shave; confer Sanskrit rad to scratch, gnaw, Latin rodere to gnaw. Confer Raze , Razee , Razor , Rodent .] 1. To rub along the surface of; to graze. [ Obsoles.]

Was he not in the . . . neighborhood to death? and might not the bullet which rased his cheek have gone into his head?

South.

Sometimes his feet rased the surface of the water, and at others the skylight almost flattened his nose.

Beckford.

2. To rub or scratch out; to erase. [ Obsoles.]

Except we rase the faculty of memory, root and branch, out of our mind.

Fuller.

3. To level with the ground; to overthrow; to destroy; to raze. [ In this sense raze is generally used.]

Till Troy were by their brave hands rased ,
They would not turn home.

Chapman.

» This word, rase , may be considered as nearly obsolete; graze , erase , and raze , having superseded it.

Rasing iron , a tool for removing old oakum and pitch from the seams of a vessel.

Syn. -- To erase; efface; obliterate; expunge; cancel; level; prostrate; overthrow; subvert; destroy; demolish; ruin.

Rase Rase intransitive verb To be leveled with the ground; to fall; to suffer overthrow. [ Obsolete]

Rase Rase noun 1. A scratching out, or erasure. [ Obsolete]

2. A slight wound; a scratch. [ Obsolete] Hooker.

3. (O. Eng. Law) A way of measuring in which the commodity measured was made even with the top of the measuring vessel by rasing, or striking off, all that was above it. Burrill.

Rash Rash (răsh) transitive verb [ For arace .] 1. To pull off or pluck violently. [ Obsolete]

2. To slash; to hack; to cut; to slice. [ Obsolete]

Rashing off helms and riving plates asunder.

Spenser.

Rash Rash noun [ Old French rasche an eruption, scurf, French rache ; from (assumed) Late Latin rasicare to scratch, from Latin radere , rasum , to scrape, scratch, shave. See Rase , and confer Rascal .] (Medicine) A fine eruption or efflorescence on the body, with little or no elevation.

Canker rash . See in the Vocabulary. -- Nettle rash . See Urticaria . -- Rose rash . See Roseola . -- Tooth rash . See Red-gum .

Rash Rash noun [ Confer French ras short-nap cloth, Italian & Spanish raso satin (cf. Rase ); or confer Italian rascia serge, German rasch , probably from Arras in France (cf. Arras ).] An inferior kind of silk, or mixture of silk and worsted. [ Obsolete] Donne.

Rash Rash adjective [ Compar. Rasher (-ẽr); superl. Rashest .] [ Probably of Scand. origin; confer Dan. & Swedish rask quick, brisk, rash, Icelandic röskr vigorous, brave, akin to D. & German rasch quick, of uncertain origin.] 1. Sudden in action; quick; hasty. [ Obsolete] "Strong as aconitum or rash gunpowder." Shak.

2. Requiring sudden action; pressing; urgent. [ Obsolete]

I scarce have leisure to salute you,
My matter is so rash .

Shak.

3. Esp., overhasty in counsel or action; precipitate; resolving or entering on a project or measure without due deliberation and caution; opposed to prudent ; said of persons; as, a rash statesman or commander.

4. Uttered or undertaken with too much haste or too little reflection; as, rash words; rash measures.

5. So dry as to fall out of the ear with handling, as corn. [ Prov. Eng.] Grose.

Syn. -- Precipitate; headlong; headstrong; foolhardy; hasty; indiscreet; heedless; thoughtless; incautious; careless; inconsiderate; unwary. -- Rash , Adventurous , Foolhardy . A man is adventurous who incurs risk or hazard from a love of the arduous and the bold. A man is rash who does it from the mere impulse of his feelings, without counting the cost. A man is foolhardy who throws himself into danger in disregard or defiance of the consequences.

Was never known a more adventurous knight.

Dryden.

Her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat.

Milton.

If any yet be so foolhardy
To expose themselves to vain jeopardy;
If they come wounded off, and lame,
No honor 's got by such a maim.

Hudibras.

Rash Rash (răsh) transitive verb To prepare with haste. [ Obsolete] Foxe.

Rasher Rash"er (-ẽr) noun [ In sense 1, probably from rash , adjective , as being hastily cooked.] 1. A thin slice of bacon.

2. (Zoology) A California rockfish ( Sebastichthys miniatus ).

Rashful Rash"ful (-ful) adjective Rash; hasty; precipitate. [ Obsolete]

Rashling Rash"ling (-lĭng) noun A rash person. [ Obsolete]

Rashly Rash"ly adverb In a rash manner; with precipitation.

He that doth anything rashly , must do it willingly; for he was free to deliberate or not.

L'Estrange.

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