Ribald noun / [ Middle English ribald , ribaud , French ribaud , Old French ribald , ribault , Late Latin ribaldus , of German origin; confer OHG hrīpa prostitute. For the ending -ald confer English Herald .] A low, vulgar, brutal, foul-mouthed wretch; a lewd fellow. Spenser. Pope.

Ribald was almost a class name in the feudal system . . . He was his patron's parasite, bulldog, and tool . . . It is not to be wondered at that the word rapidly became a synonym for everything ruffianly and brutal.

Earle.

Ribald adjective Low; base; mean; filthy; obscene.

The busy day,
Waked by the lark, hath roused the ribald crows.

Shak.

Ribaldish adjective Like a ribald. Bp. Hall.

Ribaldrous adjective Of a ribald quality. [ R.]

Ribaldry noun [ Middle English ribaldrie , ribaudrie , Old French ribalderie , ribauderie .] The talk of a ribald; low, vulgar language; indecency; obscenity; lewdness; -- now chiefly applied to indecent language, but formerly, as by Chaucer, also to indecent acts or conduct.

The ribaldry of his conversation moved ...stonishment even in that age.

Macaulay.

Riban noun See Ribbon . [ Obsolete] Piers Plowman.

Riband noun See Ribbon .

Riband jasper (Min.) , a variety of jasper having stripes of different colors, as red and green.

Riband noun (Nautical) See Rib-band . Totten.

Ribanded adjective Ribboned. B. Jonson.

Ribaud noun A ribald. [ Obsolete] P. Plowman.

Ribaudequin noun [ French]
1. An engine of war used in the Middle Ages, consisting of a protected elevated staging on wheels, and armed in front with pikes. It was (after the 14th century) furnished with small cannon.

2. A huge bow fixed on the wall of a fortified town for casting javelins.

Ribaudred, Ribaudrous adjective Filthy; obscene; ribald. [ Obsolete]

Ribaudry noun Ribaldry. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Ribaudy noun Ribaldry. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Ribauld noun A ribald. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Ribband noun A ribbon. Pope.

Ribband noun [ Rib + band .] [ Written also riband , and ribbon .] (Shipbuilding) A long, narrow strip of timber bent and bolted longitudinally to the ribs of a vessel, to hold them in position, and give rigidity to the framework.

Rib-band lines , oblique longitudinal sections of the hull of a vessel. Knight.

Ribbed adjective
1. Furnished or formed with ribs; as, a ribbed cylinder; ribbed cloth.

2. (Mining) Intercalated with slate; -- said of a seam of coal. Raymond.

Ribbing noun An assemblage or arrangement of ribs, as the timberwork for the support of an arch or coved ceiling, the veins in the leaves of some plants, ridges in the fabric of cloth, or the like.

Ribbon noun [ Middle English riban , Old French riban , French ruban , probably of German origin; confer Dutch ringband collar, necklace, English ring circle, and band .] [ Written also riband , ribband .]
1. A fillet or narrow woven fabric, commonly of silk, used for trimming some part of a woman's attire, for badges, and other decorative purposes.

2. A narrow strip or shred; as, a steel or magnesium ribbon ; sails torn to ribbons .

3. (Shipbuilding) Same as Rib- band .

4. plural Driving reins. [ Cant] London Athenæum.

5. (Her.) A bearing similar to the bend, but only one eighth as wide.

6. (Spinning) A silver.

» The blue ribbon , and The red ribbon , are phrases often used to designate the British orders of the Garter and of the Bath, respectively, the badges of which are suspended by ribbons of these colors. See Blue ribbon , under Blue .

Ribbon fish . (Zoology) (a) Any elongated, compressed, ribbon-shaped marine fish of the family Trachypteridæ , especially the species of the genus Trachypterus , and the oarfish ( Regelecus Banksii ) of the North Atlantic, which is sometimes over twenty feet long . (b) The hairtail, or bladefish . (c) A small compressed marine fish of the genus Cepola , having a long, slender, tapering tail. The European species ( C. rubescens ) is light red throughout. Called also band fish . -- Ribbon grass (Botany) , a variety of reed canary grass having the leaves stripped with green and white; -- called also Lady's garters . See Reed grass , under Reed . -- Ribbon seal (Zoology) , a North Pacific seal ( Histriophoca fasciata ). The adult male is dark brown, conspicuously banded and striped with yellowish white. -- Ribbon snake (Zoology) , a common North American snake ( Eutainia saurita ). It is conspicuously striped with bright yellow and dark brown. -- Ribbon Society , a society in Ireland, founded in the early part of the 19th century in antagonism to the Orangemen. It afterwards became an organization of tennant farmers banded together to prevent eviction by landlords. It took its name from the green ribbon worn by members as a badge. -- Ribborn worm . (Zoology) (a) A tapeworm . (b) A nemertean.

Ribbon transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Ribboned ; present participle & verbal noun Ribboning .] To adorn with, or as with, ribbons; to mark with stripes resembling ribbons.

Ribbonism noun The principles and practices of the Ribbonmen. See Ribbon Society , under Ribbon .

Ribbonman noun ; plural -men . A member of the Ribbon Society. See Ribbon Society , under Ribbon .

Ribbonwood noun (Botany) A malvaceous tree ( Hoheria populnea ) of New Zealand, the bark of which is used for cordage.

Ribes noun [ New Latin ; confer Danish ribs , and Arabic rībās a plant with an acid juice.] (Botany) A genus of shrubs including gooseberries and currants of many kinds.

Ribibe noun [ See Rebec .]
1. A sort of stringed instrument; a rebec. [ Obsolete] Nares.

2. An old woman; -- in contempt. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

3. A bawd; a prostitute. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Ribible noun [ See Ribibe .] A small threestringed viol; a rebec. Moore (Encyc. of Music).

All can be play on gittern or ribible .

Chaucer.

Ribless adjective Having no ribs.

Ribroast transitive verb To beat soundly. [ Slang]

Ribwort noun (Botany) A species of plantain ( Plantago lanceolata ) with long, narrow, ribbed leaves; -- called also rib grass , ripple grass , ribwort plantain .

Rice noun [ French riz (cf. Pr. ris , Italian riso ), Latin oryza , Greek ........., ........., probably from the Persian; confer OPers. brīzi , akin to Sanskrit vrīhi ; or perhaps akin to English rye . Confer Rye .] (Botany) A well-known cereal grass ( Oryza sativa ) and its seed. This plant is extensively cultivated in warm climates, and the grain forms a large portion of the food of the inhabitants. In America it grows chiefly on low, moist land, which can be overflowed.

Ant rice . (Botany) See under Ant . -- French rice . (Botany) See Amelcorn . -- Indian rice ., a tall reedlike water grass ( Zizania aquatica ), bearing panicles of a long, slender grain, much used for food by North American Indians. It is common in shallow water in the Northern States. Called also water oat , Canadian wild rice , etc. -- Mountain rice , any species of an American genus ( Oryzopsis ) of grasses, somewhat resembling rice. -- Rice bunting . (Zoology) Same as Ricebird . -- Rice hen (Zoology) , the Florida gallinule. -- Rice mouse (Zoology) , a large dark-colored field mouse ( Calomys palistris ) of the Southern United States. - - Rice paper , a kind of thin, delicate paper, brought from China, -- used for painting upon, and for the manufacture of fancy articles. It is made by cutting the pith of a large herb ( Fatsia papyrifera , related to the ginseng) into one roll or sheet, which is flattened out under pressure. Called also pith paper . -- Rice troupial (Zoology) , the bobolink. -- Rice water , a drink for invalids made by boiling a small quantity of rice in water. -- Rice-water discharge (Medicine) , a liquid, resembling rice water in appearance, which is vomited, and discharged from the bowels, in cholera. -- Rice weevil (Zoology) , a small beetle ( Calandra, or Sitophilus, oryzæ ) which destroys rice, wheat, and Indian corn by eating out the interior; -- called also black weevil .

Rice-shell noun (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of small white polished marine shells of the genus Olivella .

Ricebird noun (Zoology) (a) The Java sparrow. (b) The bobolink.

Rich (rĭch) adjective [ Compar. Richer ; superl. Richest .] [ Middle English riche , Anglo-Saxon rīce rich, powerful; akin to Old Saxon rīki , Dutch rijk , German reich , Old High German rīhhi , Icelandic rīkr , Swedish rik , Danish rig , Goth. reiks ; from a word meaning, ruler, king, probably borrowed from Celtic, and akin to Latin rex , regis , king, regere to guide, rule. √283. See Right , and confer Derrick , Enrich , Rajah , Riches , Royal .]
1. Having an abundance of material possessions; possessed of a large amount of property; well supplied with land, goods, or money; wealthy; opulent; affluent; -- opposed to poor . " Rich merchants." Chaucer.

The rich [ person] hath many friends.

Prov. xiv. 20.

As a thief, bent to unhoard the cash
Of some rich burgher.

Milton.

2. Hence, in general, well supplied; abounding; abundant; copious; bountiful; as, a rich treasury; a rich entertainment; a rich crop.

If life be short, it shall be glorious;
Each minute shall be rich in some great action.

Rowe.

The gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold.

Milton.

3. Yielding large returns; productive or fertile; fruitful; as, rich soil or land; a rich mine.

4. Composed of valuable or costly materials or ingredients; procured at great outlay; highly valued; precious; sumptuous; costly; as, a rich dress; rich silk or fur; rich presents.

Like to rich and various gems.

Milton.

5. Abounding in agreeable or nutritive qualities; -- especially applied to articles of food or drink which are high-seasoned or abound in oleaginous ingredients, or are sweet, luscious, and high-flavored; as, a rich dish; rich cream or soup; rich pastry; rich wine or fruit.

Sauces and rich spices are fetched from India.

Baker.

6. Not faint or delicate; vivid; as, a rich color.

7. Full of sweet and harmonius sounds; as, a rich voice; rich music.

8. Abounding in beauty; gorgeous; as, a rich landscape; rich scenery.

9. Abounding in humor; exciting amusement; entertaining; as, the scene was a rich one; a rich incident or character. [ Colloq.] Thackeray.

» Rich is sometimes used in the formation of self- explaining compounds; as, rich -fleeced, rich -jeweled, rich -laden, rich -stained.

Syn. -- Wealthy; affluent; opulent; ample; copious; abundant; plentiful; fruitful; costly; sumptuous; precious; generous; luscious.

Rich transitive verb To enrich. [ Obsolete] Gower.

Riches noun plural [ Middle English richesse , French richesse , from riche rich, of German origin. See Rich , adjective ]
1. That which makes one rich; an abundance of land, goods, money, or other property; wealth; opulence; affluence.

Riches do not consist in having more gold and silver, but in having more in proportion, than our neighbors.

Locke.

2. That which appears rich, sumptuous, precious, or the like.

The riche of heaven's pavement, trodden gold.

Milton.

» Richesse , the older form of this word, was in the singular number. The form riches , however, is plural in appearance, and has now come to be used as a plural.

Against the richesses of this world shall they have misease of poverty.

Chaucer.

In one hour so great riches is come to nought.

Rev. xviii. 17.

And for that riches where is my deserving?

Shak.

Syn. -- Wealth; opulence; affluence; wealthiness; richness; plenty; abundance.

Richesse noun [ French See Riches .] Wealth; riches. See the Note under Riches . [ Obsolete]

Some man desireth for to have richesse .

Chaucer.

The richesse of all heavenly grace.

Spenser.

Richly adverb In a rich manner.

Richness noun The quality or state of being rich (in any sense of the adjective).

Richweed noun (Botany) An herb ( Pilea pumila ) of the Nettle family, having a smooth, juicy, pellucid stem; -- called also clearweed .

Ricinelaidic adjective [ Ricin oleic + elaidic .] Pertaining to, or designating, an isomeric modification of ricinoleic acid obtained as a white crystalline solid.

Ricinelaidin noun (Chemistry) The glycerin salt of ricinelaidic acid, obtained as a white crystalline waxy substance by treating castor oil with nitrous acid.

Ricinic adjective [ Latin ricinus castor-oil plant.] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, castor oil; formerly, designating an acid now called ricinoleic acid.

Ricinine noun [ Latin ricinus castor-oil plant.] (Chemistry) A bitter white crystalline alkaloid extracted from the seeds of the castor-oil plant.

Ricinoleate noun (Chemistry) A salt of ricinoleic acid; -- formerly called palmate .

Ricinoleic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a fatty acid analogous to oleic acid, obtained from castor oil as an oily substance, C...H...O... with a harsh taste. Formerly written ricinolic .

Ricinolein noun [ Latin ricinus castor-oil plant + oleum oil.] (Chemistry) The glycerin salt of ricinoleic acid, occuring as a characteristic constituent of castor oil; -- formerly called palmin .

Ricinolic adjective (Chemistry) Ricinoleic.

Ricinus noun [ Latin , the castor- oil plant.] (Botany) A genus of plants of the Spurge family, containing but one species ( R. communis ), the castor-oil plant. The fruit is three-celled, and contains three large seeds from which castor oil iss expressed. See Palma Christi .