adj. Reckless, impetuous, hasty. rashly adv. Rashness n. [probably old english]
- n. - eruption of the skin in spots or patches.
- (usu. Foll. By of) sudden widespread phenomenon (rash of strikes). [origin uncertain]
RASP
—n. - coarse kind of file having separate teeth.
- grating noise or utterance. —v. - a scrape with a rasp. B scrape roughly. C (foll. By off, away) remove by scraping.
- a make a grating sound. B say gratingly.
- grate upon (a person or feelings). [french raspe(r)]
RATE
—n. - numerical proportion between two sets of things (moving at a rate of 50 m.p.h.) Or as the basis of calculating an amount or value (rate of interest).
- fixed or appropriate charge, cost, or value; measure of this (postal rates; the rate for the job).
- pace of movement or change (prices increasing at a great rate).
- (in comb.) Class or rank (first-rate).
- (in pl.) Tax levied by local authorities on businesses (and formerly on private individuals) according to the value of buildings and land occupied. —v. (-ting) 1 a estimate the worth or value of. B assign a value to.
- consider, regard as.
- (foll. By as) rank or be considered.
- a subject to the payment of a local rate. B value for the purpose of assessing rates.
- be worthy of, deserve. at any rate in any case, whatever happens. At this rate if this example is typical. [latin rata: related to *ratio]
- v. (-ting) scold angrily. [origin unknown]
RAVE
—v. (-ving) 1 talk wildly or furiously in or as in delirium.
- (usu. Foll. By about, over) speak with rapturous admiration; go into raptures.
v. (also rase) (-zing or -sing) completely destroy; tear down (esp. Raze to the ground). [latin rado ras- scrape]
READ
—v. (past and past part. Read) 1 (also absol.) Reproduce mentally or (often foll. By aloud, out, off, etc.) Vocally the written or printed words of (a book, author, etc.).
- convert or be able to convert into the intended words or meaning (written or other symbols or the things expressed in this way) (can't read music).
- understand by observing; interpret (read me like a book; read his silence as consent; read my mind; reads tea-leaves).
- find (a thing) stated in print etc. (read that you were leaving).
- (often foll. By into) assume as intended or deducible (read too much into it).
- bring into a specified state by reading (read myself to sleep).
- a (of a recording instrument) show (a specified figure etc.). B interpret (a recording instrument) (read the meter).
- convey meaning when read; have a certain wording (it reads persuasively; reads from left to right).
- sound or affect a hearer or reader when read (the book reads like a parody). 10 study by reading (esp. A subject at university). 11 (as read adj.) Versed in a subject (esp. Literature) by reading (well-read person). 12 (of a computer) copy or transfer (data). 13 hear and understand (over a radio) (are you reading me?). 14 replace (a word etc.) With the correct one(s) (for ‘this’ read ‘these’). —n. - spell of reading.
- colloq. Book etc. As regards readability (is a good read). read between the lines look for or find hidden meaning. Read up (often followed by on) make a special study of (a subject). Take as read treat (a thing) as if it has been agreed. [old english]
REAL
ale n. Beer regarded as brewed in a traditional way.
- life n. - life lived by actual people.
- (attrib.) (real-life) actual, not fictional (her real-life husband).
- money n. Current coin; cash.
- tennis n. Original form of tennis played on an indoor court.
- time n. - actual time during which a process occurs.
- (attrib.) (real-time) computing (of a system) in which the response time is the actual time during which an event occurs.
- —adj. - actually existing or occurring.
- genuine; rightly so called; not artificial.
- law consisting of immovable property such as land or houses (real estate).
- appraised by purchasing power (real value).
- math. (of a quantity) having no imaginary part (see *imaginary 2). —adv. Scot. & us colloq. Really, very. for real colloq. Seriously, in earnest. The real thing (of an object or emotion) genuine, not inferior. [anglo-french and latin realis from res thing]
- n. Hist. Coin and monetary unit in spanish-speaking countries. [spanish: related to *royal]
REAM
n. - twenty quires of paper.
- (in pl.) Large quantity of writing. [arabic, = bundle]
REAP
v. - cut or gather (esp. Grain) as a harvest.
- harvest the crop of (a field etc.).
- receive as a result of one's own or others' actions. [old english]
A cat will clean itself with paw and tongue after a dangerous experience or when it has fought with another cat. This is an attempt by the animal to soothe its nerves by doing something natural and instinctive.
