Rattleweed Rat"tle·weed` (-wēd`) noun (Botany) Any plant of the genus Astragalus . See Milk vetch .

Rattlewings Rat"tle·wings` (-wĭngz`) noun (Zoology) The golden-eye.

Rattlewort Rat"tle·wort` (-wûrt`) noun [ Anglo-Saxon hrætelwyrt .] (Botany) Same as Rattlebox .

Rattlings Rat"tlings (răt"tlĭngz) noun plural (Nautical) Ratlines.

Rattoon Rat·toon" (răt*tōn") noun [ Spanish retoño .] One of the stems or shoots of sugar cane of the second year's growth from the root, or later. See Plant-cane .

Rattoon Rat·toon" intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Rattooned (-tōnd"); present participle & verbal noun Rattooning .] [ Confer Spanish retoñar .] To sprout or spring up from the root, as sugar cane from the root of the previous year's planting.

Raucid Rau"cid (ra"sĭd) adjective [ Latin raucus hoarse; confer Late Latin raucidus .] Hoarse; raucous. [ R.] Lamb.

Raucity Rau"ci·ty (ra"sĭ*tȳ) noun [ Latin raucitas , from raucus hoarse: confer French raucité .] Harshness of sound; rough utterance; hoarseness; as, the raucity of a trumpet, or of the human voice.

Raucous Rau"cous (ra"kŭs) adjective [ Latin raucus .] Hoarse; harsh; rough; as, a raucous , thick tone. "His voice slightly raucous ." Aytoun. -- Rau"cous*ly , adverb

Raught Raught (rat), obsolete imperfect & past participle of Reach . Shak.

Raught Raught obsolete imperfect & past participle of Reck . Chaucer.

Raunch Raunch (ranch) transitive verb See Ranch . Spenser.

Raunsoun Raun·soun" (ran*sōn") noun Ransom. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Ravage Rav"age (răv"aj; 48) noun [ French, from (assumed) Latin rapagium , rapaticum , from rapere to carry off by force, to ravish. See Rapacious , Ravish .] Desolation by violence; violent ruin or destruction; devastation; havoc; waste; as, the ravage of a lion; the ravages of fire or tempest; the ravages of an army, or of time.

Would one think 't were possible for love
To make such ravage in a noble soul?

Addison.

Syn. -- Despoilment; devastation; desolation; pillage; plunder; spoil; waste; ruin.

Ravage Rav"age transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ravaged (-ajd); present participle & verbal noun Ravaging (-a*jĭng).] [ French ravager . See Ravage , noun ] To lay waste by force; to desolate by violence; to commit havoc or devastation upon; to spoil; to plunder; to consume.

Already Cæsar
Has ravaged more than half the globe.

Addison.

His lands were daily ravaged , his cattle driven away.

Macaulay.

Syn. -- To despoil; pillage; plunder; sack; spoil; devastate; desolate; destroy; waste; ruin.

Ravager Rav"a·ger (-a*jẽr) noun One who, or that which, ravages or lays waste; spoiler.

Rave Rave (rāv), obsolete imperfect of Rive .

Rave Rave noun [ Prov. English raves , or rathes , a frame laid on a wagon, for carrying hay, etc.] One of the upper side pieces of the frame of a wagon body or a sleigh.

Rave Rave (rāv) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Raved (rāvd); present participle & verbal noun Raving .] [ French rêver to rave, to be delirious, to dream; perhaps from Latin rabere to rave, rage, be mad or furious. Confer Rage , Reverie .] 1. To wander in mind or intellect; to be delirious; to talk or act irrationally; to be wild, furious, or raging, as a madman.

In our madness evermore we rave .

Chaucer.

Have I not cause to rave and beat my breast?

Addison.

The mingled torrent of redcoats and tartans went raving down the valley to the gorge of Killiecrankie.

Macaulay.

2. To rush wildly or furiously. Spenser.

3. To talk with unreasonable enthusiasm or excessive passion or excitement; -- followed by about , of , or on ; as, he raved about her beauty.

The hallowed scene
Which others rave of, though they know it not.

Byron.

Rave Rave transitive verb To utter in madness or frenzy; to say wildly; as, to rave nonsense. Young.

Ravehook Rave"hook (rāv"hok) noun (Shipbuilding) A tool, hooked at the end, for enlarging or clearing seams for the reception of oakum.

Ravel Rav"el (răv"'l) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Raveled (-'ld) or Ravelled ; present participle & verbal noun Raveling or Ravelling .] [ OD. ravelen , Dutch rafelen , akin to LG. rebeln , rebbeln , reffeln .] 1. To separate or undo the texture of; to take apart; to untwist; to unweave or unknit; -- often followed by out ; as, to ravel a twist; to ravel out a stocking.

Sleep, that knits up the raveled sleave of care.

Shak.

2. To undo the intricacies of; to disentangle.

3. To pull apart, as the threads of a texture, and let them fall into a tangled mass; hence, to entangle; to make intricate; to involve.

What glory 's due to him that could divide
Such raveled interests? has the knot untied?

Waller.

The faith of very many men seems a duty so weak and indifferent, is so often untwisted by violence, or raveled and entangled in weak discourses!

Jer. Taylor.

Ravel Rav"el intransitive verb 1. To become untwisted or unwoven; to be disentangled; to be relieved of intricacy.

2. To fall into perplexity and confusion. [ Obsolete]

Till, by their own perplexities involved,
They ravel more, still less resolved.

Milton.

3. To make investigation or search, as by picking out the threads of a woven pattern. [ Obsolete]

The humor of raveling into all these mystical or entangled matters.

Sir W. Temple.

Raveler Rav"el·er (-ẽr) noun [ Also raveller .] One who ravels.

Ravelin Rave"lin (răv"lĭn; 277) noun [ F.; confer Spanish rebellin , Italian revellino , rivellino ; perhaps from Latin re- again + vallum wall.] (Fort.) A detached work with two embankments which make a salient angle. It is raised before the curtain on the counterscarp of the place. Formerly called demilune , and half-moon .

Raveling Rav"el·ing (răv"'l*ĭng) noun [ Also ravelling .] 1. The act of untwisting or of disentangling.

2. That which is raveled out; esp., a thread detached from a texture.

Raven Ra"ven (rā"v'n) noun [ Anglo-Saxon hræfn ; akin to Dutch raaf , German rabe , Old High German hraban , Icelandic hrafn , Danish ravn , and perhaps to Latin corvus , Greek ko`rax . √19.] (Zoology) A large black passerine bird ( Corvus corax ), similar to the crow, but larger. It is native of the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America, and is noted for its sagacity.

Sea raven (Zoology) , the cormorant.

Raven Ra"ven adjective Of the color of the raven; jet black; as, raven curls; raven darkness.

Raven Rav"en (răv"'n) noun [ Old French raviné impetuosity, violence, French ravine ravine. See Ravine , Rapine .] [ Written also ravin , and ravine .] 1. Rapine; rapacity. Ray.

2. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence.

Raven Rav"en transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ravened (-'nd); present participle & verbal noun Ravening .] [ Written also ravin , and ravine .]

1. To obtain or seize by violence. Hakewill.

2. To devour with great eagerness.

Like rats that ravin down their proper bane.

Shak.

Raven Rav"en intransitive verb To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity. [ Written also ravin , and ravine .]

Benjamin shall raven as a wolf.

Gen. xlix. 27.

Raven's-duck Ra"ven's-duck` (rā"v'nz-dŭk`) noun [ Confer German ravenstuch .] A fine quality of sailcloth. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Ravenala Rav`e·na"la (răv`e*nä"lȧ) noun [ Malagasy.] (Botany) A genus of plants related to the banana.

» Ravenala Madagascariensis , the principal species, is an unbranched tree with immense oarlike leaves growing alternately from two sides of the stem. The sheathing bases of the leafstalks collect and retain rain water, which flows freely when they are pierced with a knife, whence the plant is called traveler's tree .

Ravener Rav"en·er (răv"'n*ẽr) noun 1. One who, or that which, ravens or plunders. Gower.

2. A bird of prey, as the owl or vulture. [ Obsolete] Holland.

Ravening Rav"en·ing noun Eagerness for plunder; rapacity; extortion. Luke xi. 39.

Ravening Rav"en·ing adjective Greedily devouring; rapacious; as, ravening wolves. -- Rav"en*ing*ly , adverb

Ravenous Rav"en·ous (răv"'n*ŭs) adjective [ From 2d Raven .] 1. Devouring with rapacious eagerness; furiously voracious; hungry even to rage; as, a ravenous wolf or vulture.

2. Eager for prey or gratification; as, a ravenous appetite or desire.

-- Rav"en*ous*ly , adverb -- Rav"en*ous*ness , noun

Raver Rav"er (rāv"ẽr) noun One who raves.

Ravin Rav"in (răv"'n) adjective Ravenous. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Ravin, Ravine Rav"in, Rav"ine (răv"'n) noun [ See 2d Raven .] Food obtained by violence; plunder; prey; raven. "Fowls of ravyne ." Chaucer.

Though Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine , shrieked against his creed.

Tennyson.

Ravin, Ravine Rav"in, Rav"ine transitive verb & i. See Raven , transitive verb & i.

Ravine Ra·vine" (rȧ*vēn") noun [ French, a place excavated by a torrent, a ravine, from ravir to snatch or tear away, Latin rapere ; confer Latin rapina rapine. See Ravish , and confer Rapine , Raven prey.] 1. A torrent of water. [ Obsolete] Cotgrave.

2. A deep and narrow hollow, usually worn by a stream or torrent of water; a gorge; a mountain cleft.

Raving Rav"ing (rāv"ĭng) adjective Talking irrationally and wildly; as, a raving lunatic. -- Rav"ing*ly , adverb

Ravish Rav"ish (răv"ĭsh) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ravished (-ĭsht); present participle & verbal noun Ravishing .] [ Middle English ravissen , French ravir , from Latin rapere to snatch or tear away, to ravish. See Rapacious , Rapid , and - ish .] 1. To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.

These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
Will quicken, and accuse thee.

Shak.

This hand shall ravish thy pretended right.

Dryden.

2. To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy. " Ravished . . . for the joy." Chaucer.

Thou hast ravished my heart.

Cant. iv. 9.

3. To have carnal knowledge of (a woman) by force, and against her consent; to rape. Shak.

Syn. -- To transport; entrance; enrapture; delight; violate; deflour; force.

Ravisher Rav"ish·er (-ẽr) noun One who ravishes (in any sense).

Ravishing Rav"ish·ing adjective Rapturous; transporting.

Ravishingly Rav"ish·ing·ly adverb In a ravishing manner.

Ravishment Rav"ish·ment (-m e nt) noun [ French ravissement . See Ravish .] 1. The act of carrying away by force or against consent; abduction; as, the ravishment of children from their parents, of a ward from his guardian, or of a wife from her husband. Blackstone.

2. The state of being ravished; rapture; transport of delight; ecstasy. Spenser.

In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.

Milton.

3. The act of ravishing a woman; rape.

Ravissant Rav"is·sant (răv"ĭs*sănt) adjective [ French] (Her.) In a half-raised position, as if about to spring on prey.

Raw Raw (ra) adjective [ Compar. Rawer (-ẽr); superl. Rawest .] [ Anglo-Saxon hreáw ; akin to Dutch raauw , LG. rau , German roh , Old High German rō , Icelandic hrār , Danish raa , Swedish rå , Latin crudus , Greek kre`as flesh, Sanskrit kravis raw flesh. √18. Confer Crude , Cruel .] 1. Not altered from its natural state; not prepared by the action of heat; as, raw sienna; specifically, not cooked; not changed by heat to a state suitable for eating; not done; as, raw meat.

2. Hence: Unprepared for use or enjoyment; immature; unripe; unseasoned; inexperienced; unpracticed; untried; as, raw soldiers; a raw recruit.

Approved himself to the raw judgment of the multitude.

De Quincey.

3. Not worked in due form; in the natural state; untouched by art; unwrought. Specifically: (a) Not distilled; as, raw water . [ Obsolete] Bacon. (b) Not spun or twisted; as, raw silk or cotton . (c) Not mixed or diluted; as, raw spirits . (d) Not tried; not melted and strained; as, raw tallow . (e) Not tanned; as, raw hides . (f) Not trimmed, covered, or folded under; as, the raw edge of a piece of metal or of cloth.

4. Not covered; bare. Specifically: (a) Bald. [ Obsolete] "With skull all raw ." Spenser (b) Deprived of skin; galled; as, a raw sore. (c) Sore, as if by being galled.

And all his sinews waxen weak and raw
Through long imprisonment.

Spenser.

5. Disagreeably damp or cold; chilly; bleak; as, a raw wind. "A raw and gusty day." Shak.

Raw material , material that has not been subjected to a (specified) process of manufacture; as, ore is the raw material used in smelting; leather is the raw material of the shoe industry. -- Raw pig , cast iron as it comes from the smelting furnace.

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