Racket-tail Rack"et-tail` (-tāl`) noun (Zoology) Any one of several species of humming birds of the genus Steganura , having two of the tail feathers very long and racket-shaped.

Racket-tailed Rack"et-tailed` (-tāld`) adjective (Zoology) Having long and spatulate, or racket-shaped, tail feathers.

Racketer Rack"et·er (-ẽr) noun One who makes, or engages in, a racket.

Rackett Rack"ett (-ĕt) noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Mus.) An old wind instrument of the double bassoon kind, having ventages but not keys.

Rackety Rack"et·y (-ȳ) adjective Making a tumultuous noise.

Racking Rack"ing noun (Nautical) Spun yarn used in racking ropes.

Racktail Rack"tail` (răk"tāl`) noun (Horol.) An arm attached to a swinging notched arc or rack, to let off the striking mechanism of a repeating clock.

Rackwork Rack"work` (-wûrk`) noun Any mechanism having a rack, as a rack and pinion.

Racle Ra"cle (rä"k'l) adjective See Rakel . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Racleness Ra"cle·ness noun See Rakelness . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Raconteur Ra`con`teur" (rȧ`kôN`tẽr") noun [ French] A relater; a storyteller.

Racoonda Ra·coon"da (rȧ*kōn"dȧ) noun [ From a native name.] (Zoology) The coypu.

Racovian Ra·co"vi·an (rȧ*kō"vĭ* a n) noun [ From Racow .] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Socinians or Unitarians in Poland.

Racquet Rac"quet (răk"kĕt) noun See Racket .

Racy Ra"cy (rā"sȳ) adjective [ Compar. Racier (-sĭ*ẽr); superl. Raciest .] [ From Race a tribe, family.] 1. Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh; rich.

The racy wine,
Late from the mellowing cask restored to light.

Pope.

2. Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and piquant; fresh and lively.

Our raciest , most idiomatic popular words.

M. Arnold.

Burns's English, though not so racy as his Scotch, is generally correct.

H. Coleridge.

The rich and racy humor of a natural converser fresh from the plow.

Prof. Wilson.

Syn. -- Spicy; spirited; lively; smart; piquant. -- Racy , Spicy . Racy refers primarily to that peculiar flavor which certain wines are supposed to derive from the soil in which the grapes were grown; and hence we call a style or production racy when it "smacks of the soil," or has an uncommon degree of natural freshness and distinctiveness of thought and language. Spicy , when applied to style, has reference to a spirit and pungency added by art, seasoning the matter like a condiment. It does not, like racy , suggest native peculiarity. A spicy article in a magazine; a spicy retort. Racy in conversation; a racy remark.

Rich, racy verses, in which we
The soil from which they come, taste, smell, and see.

Cowley.

Rad Rad (răd), obsolete imperfect & past participle of Read , Rede . Spenser.

Radde Rad"de (răd"d e ), obsolete imperfect of Read , Rede . Chaucer.

Raddle Rad"dle (răd"d'l) noun [ Confer German räder , rädel , sieve, or perhaps English reed .] 1. A long, flexible stick, rod, or branch, which is interwoven with others, between upright posts or stakes, in making a kind of hedge or fence.

2. A hedge or fence made with raddles; -- called also raddle hedge . Todd.

3. An instrument consisting of a wooden bar, with a row of upright pegs set in it, used by domestic weavers to keep the warp of a proper width, and prevent tangling when it is wound upon the beam of the loom.

Raddle Rad"dle transitive verb To interweave or twist together.

Raddling or working it up like basket work.

De Foe.

Raddle Rad"dle noun [ Confer Ruddle .] A red pigment used in marking sheep, and in some mechanical processes; ruddle. "A raddle of rouge." Thackeray.

Raddle Rad"dle transitive verb To mark or paint with, or as with, raddle. "Whitened and raddled old women." Thackeray.

Raddock Rad"dock (-dŭk) noun (Zoology) The ruddock. [ Prov. Eng.]

Rade Rade (rād) noun A raid. [ Scot.]

Radeau Ra`deau" (rȧ`dō") noun [ French] A float; a raft.

Three vessels under sail, and one at anchor, above Split Rock, and behind it the radeau Thunderer.

W. Irving.

Radial Ra"di·al (rā"dĭ* a l) adjective [ Confer French radial . See Radius .] Of or pertaining to a radius or ray; consisting of, or like, radii or rays; radiated; as, (Botany) radial projections; (Zoology) radial vessels or canals; (Anat.) the radial artery.

Radial symmetry . (Biol.) See under Symmetry .

Radial engine Radial engine (Machinery) An engine, usually an internal-combustion engine of a certain type (the radial type ) having several cylinders arranged radially like the spokes of a complete wheel. The semiradial engine has radiating cylinders on only one side of the crank shaft.

Radiale Ra`di·a"le (rā`dĭ*ā"le) noun ; plural Radialia (- lĭ*ȧ) [ New Latin See Radial .] 1. (Anat.) The bone or cartilage of the carpus which articulates with the radius and corresponds to the scaphoid bone in man.

2. plural (Zoology) Radial plates in the calyx of a crinoid.

Radially Ra"di·al·ly (rā"dĭ* a l*lȳ) adverb In a radial manner.

Radian Ra"di·an (- a n) noun [ From Radius .] (Math.) An arc of a circle which is equal to the radius, or the angle measured by such an arc.

Radiance Ra"di·ance (- a ns), Ra"di*an*cy (- a n*sȳ) noun The quality of being radiant; brilliancy; effulgence; vivid brightness; as, the radiance of the sun.

Girt with omnipotence, with radiance crowned.

Milton.

What radiancy of glory,
What light beyond compare !

Neale.

Syn. -- Luster; brilliancy; splendor; glare; glitter.

Radiant Ra"di·ant (- a nt) adjective [ Latin radians , -antis , present participle of radiare to emit rays or beams, from radius ray: confer French radiant . See Radius , Ray a divergent line.] 1. Emitting or proceeding as from a center; resembling rays; radiating; radiate.

2. Especially, emitting or darting rays of light or heat; issuing in beams or rays; beaming with brightness; emitting a vivid light or splendor; as, the radiant sun.

Mark what radiant state she spreads.

Milton.

3. Beaming with vivacity and happiness; as, a radiant face.

4. (Her.) Giving off rays; -- said of a bearing; as, the sun radiant ; a crown radiant .

5. (Botany) Having a raylike appearance, as the large marginal flowers of certain umbelliferous plants; -- said also of the cluster which has such marginal flowers.

Radiant energy (Physics) , energy given out or transmitted by radiation, as in the case of light and radiant heat. -- Radiant heat , heat proceeding in right lines, or directly from the heated body, after the manner of light, in distinction from heat conducted or carried by intervening media. -- Radiant point . (Astron.) See Radiant , noun , 3.

Radiant Ra"di·ant noun 1. (Opt.) The luminous point or object from which light emanates; also, a body radiating light brightly.

2. (Geom.) A straight line proceeding from a given point, or fixed pole, about which it is conceived to revolve.

3. (Astron.) The point in the heavens at which the apparent paths of shooting stars meet, when traced backward, or whence they appear to radiate.

Radiant Ra"di·ant adjective (Physics) Emitted or transmitted by radiation; as, a radiant energy; radiant heat.

Radiant engine Radiant engine (Machinery) A semiradial engine. See Radial engine , above.

Radiantly Ra"di·ant·ly (rā"dĭ* a nt*lȳ) adverb In a radiant manner; with glittering splendor.

Radiary Ra"di·a·ry (-a*rȳ) noun [ Confer French radiaire .] (Zoology) A radiate. [ Obsolete]

Radiata Ra`di·a"ta (-ā"tȧ) noun plural [ New Latin , from radiatus , past participle See Radiate .] (Zoology) An extensive artificial group of invertebrates, having all the parts arranged radially around the vertical axis of the body, and the various organs repeated symmetrically in each ray or spheromere.

» It includes the cœlenterates and the echinoderms. Formerly, the group was supposed to be a natural one, and was considered one of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom.

Radiate Ra"di·ate (rā"dĭ*āt) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Radiated (- ā`tĕd); present participle & verbal noun Radiating .] [ Latin radiatus , past participle of radiare to furnish with spokes or rays, to radiate, from radius ray. See Radius , Ray a divergent line.] 1. To emit rays; to be radiant; to shine.

Virtues shine more clear
In them [ kings], and radiate like the sun at noon.

Howell.

2. To proceed in direct lines from a point or surface; to issue in rays, as light or heat.

Light radiates from luminous bodies directly to our eyes.

Locke.

Radiate Ra"di·ate transitive verb 1. To emit or send out in direct lines from a point or points; as, to radiate heat.

2. To enlighten; to illuminate; to shed light or brightness on; to irradiate. [ R.]

Radiate Ra"di·ate (-at) adjective [ Latin radiatus , past participle ] 1. Having rays or parts diverging from a center; radiated; as, a radiate crystal.

2. (Botany) Having in a capitulum large ray florets which are unlike the disk florets, as in the aster, daisy, etc.

3. (Zoology) Belonging to the Radiata.

Radiate Ra"di·ate noun (Zoology) One of the Radiata.

Radiate-veined Ra"di·ate-veined` (-vānd`) adjective (Botany) Having the principal veins radiating, or diverging, from the apex of the petiole; -- said of such leaves as those of the grapevine, most maples, and the castor-oil plant.

Radiated Ra"di·a`ted (-ā`tĕd) adjective 1. Emitted, or sent forth, in rays or direct lines; as, radiated heat.

2. Formed of, or arranged like, rays or radii; having parts or markings diverging, like radii, from a common center or axis; as, a radiated structure; a radiated group of crystals.

3. (Zoology) Belonging to the Radiata.

Radiately Ra"di·ate·ly (-at*lȳ) adverb In a radiate manner; with radiation or divergence from a center.

Radiatiform Ra`di·at"i·form (-ăt"ĭ*fôrm) adjective (Botany) Having the marginal florets enlarged and radiating but not ligulate, as in the capitula or heads of the cornflower. Gray.

Radiation Ra`di·a"tion (-ā"shŭn) noun [ Latin radiatio : confer French radiation .] 1. The act of radiating, or the state of being radiated; emission and diffusion of rays of light; beamy brightness.

2. The shooting forth of anything from a point or surface, like the diverging rays of light; as, the radiation of heat.

Radiative Ra"di·a·tive (rā"dĭ*a*tĭv) adjective Capable of radiating; acting by radiation. Tyndall.

Radiator Ra"di·a`tor (-ā`tẽr) noun That which radiates or emits rays, whether of light or heat; especially, that part of a heating apparatus from which the heat is radiated or diffused; as, a steam radiator .

Radiator Ra"di·a`tor noun 1. Any of various devices for cooling an internal substance by radiation, as a system og rings on a gun barrel for cooling it, or a nest of tubes with large radiating surface for cooling circulating water, as in an automobile.

2. (Wireless Teleg.) An oscillator.

Radical Rad"i·cal (răd"ĭ*k a l) adjective [ French, from Latin radicalis having roots, from radix , -icis , a root. See Radix .] 1. Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.

2. Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation, to the ultimate sources, to the principles, or the like; original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party.

The most determined exertions of that authority, against them, only showed their radical independence.

Burke.

3. (Botany) (a) Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs. (b) Proceeding from a rootlike stem, or one which does not rise above the ground; as, the radical leaves of the dandelion and the sidesaddle flower.

4. (Philol.) Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.

5. (Math.) Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below.

Radical axis of two circles . (Geom.) See under Axis . -- Radical pitch , the pitch or tone with which the utterance of a syllable begins. Rush. -- Radical quantity (Alg.) , a quantity to which the radical sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign; a surd. -- Radical sign (Math.) , the sign √ (originally the letter r , the initial of radix , root), placed before any quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus, √ a , or √( a + b ). To indicate any other than the square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the sign; thus, a , indicates the third or cube root of a . -- Radical stress (Elocution) , force of utterance falling on the initial part of a syllable or sound. -- Radical vessels (Anat.) , minute vessels which originate in the substance of the tissues.

Syn. -- Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental; entire. -- Radical , Entire . These words are frequently employed as interchangeable in describing some marked alteration in the condition of things. There is, however, an obvious difference between them. A radical cure, reform, etc., is one which goes to the root of the thing in question; and it is entire , in the sense that, by affecting the root, it affects in an appropriate degree the entire body nourished by the root; but it may not be entire in the sense of making a change complete in its nature, as well as in its extent. Hence, we speak of a radical change; a radical improvement; radical differences of opinion; while an entire change, an entire improvement, an entire difference of opinion, might indicate more than was actually intended. A certain change may be both radical and entire , in every sense.

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