A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

rare (v.) --- rise up, 1833, dialectal variant of rear (v.). Sense of "eager" (in raring to go) first recorded 1909.

rarebit --- 1785, perversion of (Welsh) rabbit, as if from rare + bit. See Welsh.

raree show --- peep show contained in a box, c.1681, so called "in imitation of the foreign way of pronouncing rare show" [Johnson]. "Johnson's statement is prob. correct; the early exhibitors of peep-shows appear to have been usually Savoyards, from whom the form was no doubt adopted" [OED]. Early "peep shows" were more innocent than what usually is meant now by that word.

rarefy --- 1398, from O.Fr. rarefier (14c.), from M.L. rarificare, from L. rarefacere "make rare," from rarus "rare, thin" (see rare (1)) + facere "to make" (see factitious).

rascal --- c.1330, rascaile "people of the lowest class, rabble of an army," from O.Fr. rascaille "outcast, rabble" (12c.), perhaps from rasque "mud, filth, scab, dregs," from V.L. *rasicare "to scrape" (see rash (n.)). The singular form is first attested 1461; extended sense of "low, dishonest person" is from early 1586.

rash (adj.) --- c.1300, "nimble, quick, vigorous," a Scottish and northern word, perhaps from O.E. -ræsc (cf. ligræsc "flash of lightning"), from P.Gmc. *raskuz (cf. M.L.G. rasch, M.Du. rasc "quick, swift," Ger. rasch "quick, fast"). Related to O.E. horsc "quick-witted." Sense of "reckless, impetuous, heedless of consequences" is attested from 1509.

rash (n.) --- red spots on skin, 1709, perhaps from Fr. rache "a sore," from O.Fr. rache "ringworm," from V.L. *rasicare "to scrape" (cf. O.Prov. rascar, Sp. rascar "to scrape, scratch," It. raschina "itch"), from L. rasus "scraped," pp. of radere "to scrape" (see raze). The connecting notion is of itching. Sense of "any sudden outbreak or proliferation" first recorded 1820.

rasher --- thin slice of bacon or ham, 1592, of unknown origin. Perhaps from M.E. rash "to cut," var. of rase "to rub, scrape out, erase," from O.Fr. raser (see raze). However, early lexicographer John Minsheu explained it in 1627 as a piece "rashly or hastily roasted."

Raskolnik --- dissenter from the Russian Church, an Old Believer, 1723, from Rus. Raskolnik "separatise," from raskol "schism, separation." The schism was a result of reforms by Patriarch Nikon in 1667.

rasp --- c.1300, "to scrape," from M.Du. raspen, O.Fr. rasper "to grate, rasp," from a W.Gmc. source (cf. O.E. gehrespan) akin to the root of raffle (q.v.). Vocalic sense is from 1843. The noun meaning "coarse file" is from 1541, from M.Fr. raspe, from O.Fr. rasper "to rasp."

raspberry --- 1623, earlier raspis berry (1548), possibly from raspise "a sweet rose-colored wine" (c.1460), from Anglo-L. vinum raspeys, origin uncertain, as is the connection between this and O.Fr. raspe, M.L. raspecia, raspeium, also meaning "raspberry." One suggestion is via Old Walloon raspoie "thicket," of Gmc. origin. Meaning "rude sound" (1890) is shortening of raspberry tart, rhyming slang for fart.

Rasputin --- acquired name (Rus., lit. "debauchee") of Grigory Yefimovich Novykh (c.1872-1916), mystic and faith healer who held sway over court of Nicholas II of Russia. His nickname is from his doctrine of "rebirth through sin," that true holy communion must be proceeded by immersion in sin. His name used figuratively in Eng. from 1937 for anyone felt to have an insidious and corrupting influence.

Rastafarian --- 1953 (Rastafarite), from Rastafari, Jamaican religion built around writings of Marcus Garvey and belief that Haile Selassie (1892-1975), former emperor of Ethiopia, was God. From Ras Tafari, Selassie's title from 1916 to his accession in 1936, from Amharic ras "chief, head" (from Arabic ra's) + tafari "to be feared." Shortened form Rasta is recorded from 1955.

rastaquouere --- 1883, from Fr. rastaquouère "social intruder, upstart" (especially one of exaggerated manners and dress, from a Mediterranean or S.Amer. country), thus "dashing but untrustworthy foreigner," from S.Amer. Sp. rastacuero "upstart." Short form rasta attested from 1905.

rat --- O.E. ræt. Similar words in Celtic (Gael. radan), Romance (It. ratto, Sp. rata, Fr. rat) and Gmc. (M.L.G. rotte, Ger. ratte) languages, but connection is uncertain and origin unknown. Perhaps from V.L. *rattus, but Weekley thinks this is of Gmc. origin, "the animal having come from the East with the race-migrations" and the word passing thence to the Romanic languages. American Heritage and Tucker connect O.E. ræt to L. rodere and thus PIE *red- "to scrape, scratch, gnaw," source of rodent (q.v.). Klein says there is no connection and suggests a possible cognate in Gk. rhine "file, rasp." Weekley connects them with a question mark and Barnhart writes, "the relationship to each other of the Germanic, Romance, and Celtic words for rat is uncertain." OED says "probable" the rat word spread from Germanic to Romance, but takes no position on ultimate origin. M.E. common form was ratton, from augmented O.Fr. form raton. Sense of "one who abandons his associates" (1629) is from belief that rats leave a ship about to sink or a house about to fall and led to meaning "traitor, informant" (1902; verb 1910). Interjection rats is Amer.Eng., 1886. To smell a rat is c.1550. Rat-race "competitive struggle" is 1939. Ratsbane (1523) is arsenic. Rat fink is teen slang from 1963. Rathole in fig. sense of "nasty, messy place" first attested 1812. _____-rat, "person who frequents _____" (in earliest ref. dock-rat) is from 1864. Rat-pack "juvenile gang" is from 1951.

ratafia --- liqueur flavored with kernels of cherries, apricots, etc., 1699, from Fr. (17c.), of unknown origin.

rat-a-tat --- 1681, echoic.

ratatouille --- 1877, from Fr., first element uncertain, second element evidently touiller "to stir up."

ratchet (n.) --- 1659, from Fr. rochet "bobbin, spindle," from It. rocchetto "spool, ratchet," dim. of rocca "distaff," possibly from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. rocko "distaff," O.N. rokkr), from P.Gmc. *rukka-, from PIE base *rug- "to spin." Cf. rocket (2). Spelling in Eng. influenced by Ger. Rätsche "ratchet." The verb is first recorded 1881; transf. sense is from 1977.

rate (n.) --- estimated value or worth, 1425, from M.Fr. rate "price, value," from M.L. rata (pars) "fixed (amount)," from L. rata "fixed, settled," fem. pp. of reri "to reckon, think" (see reason). Meaning "degree of speed" (prop. ratio between distance and time) is attested from 1652. Currency exchange sense first recorded 1727. The verb "to estimate the worth or value of" is from 1599. First-rate, second-rate, etc. are 1649, from British Navy division of ships into six classes based on size and strength. Phrase at any rate originally (1619) meant "at any cost;" weakened sense of "at least" is attested by 1760.

rate (v.) --- to scold, c.1386, probably from O.Fr. reter "to impute blame," from L. reputare "to count over, reflect," in V.L., "to impute, blame" (see reputation).

rather --- O.E. hraþor "more quickly, earlier, sooner," also "more readily," comparative of hraþe, hræþe "quickly," related to hræð "quick," from P.Gmc. *khrathuz (cf. O.N. hraðr, O.H.G. hrad). The base form rathe was obsolete by 18c. except in poetry; superlative rathest fell from use by 17c. Meaning "more willingly" is recorded from 1297; sense of "more truly" is attested from c.1380.

rathskeller --- 1900, from Ger. ratskeller, earlier rathskeller, "a cellar in a Ger. town hall in which beer is sold," from rat "council" (see read) + keller "cellar."

ratify --- c.1357, from O.Fr. ratifier (1294), from M.L. ratificare "confirm, approve," lit. "fix by reckoning," from L. ratus "fixed, valid" (pp. of reri "to reckon, think") + root of facere "to make" (see factitious).

rating --- action of verb "to rate" (see rate (n.)), 1534. Ratings of TV programs, originally radio programs, began 1930 in U.S. under system set up by Archibald M. Crossley, and were called Crossley ratings or Crossleys until ratings began to be preferred c.1947.

ratio --- 1636, "reason, rationale," from L. ratio "reckoning, calculation, business affair, procedure," also "reason," from rat-, pp. stem of reri "to reckon, calculate," also "think" (see reason). Mathematical sense is attested from 1660.

ratiocination --- process of reasoning, 1530, from L. ratiocincationem (nom. ratiocincatio) "a reasoning," from ratiocincatus, pp. of ratiocinare "to calculate, deliberate," from ratio (see ratio) + -cinari, which probably is related to conari "to try."

ration --- 1550, "reasoning," later, "relation of one number to another" (1666), then "fixed allowance of food" (1702, often rations, from Fr. ration), from L. rationem (nom. ratio) "reckoning, calculation, proportion" (see ratio). The verb meaning "put (someone) on a fixed allowance" is recorded from 1859; sense of "apportion in fixed amounts" is from 1870. The military pronunciation (rhymes with fashion) took over from the preferred civilian pronunciation (rhymes with nation) during World War I. Rationing is from 1918, from conditions in England during the war.

rational --- 1398, "endowed with reason," from L. rationalis "of or belonging to reason, reasonable," from ratio (gen. rationis) "reckoning, calculation, reason" (see ratio). Rationalist "physician whose treatment is based on reason" is from 1626; applied to a philosophical doctrine 1647. Rationalize is first recorded 1803, "to explain, to make reasonable;" in the psychological sense of "to give an explanation that conceals true motives" it dates from 1922.

rationale --- 1657, from L.L. rationale, noun use of neuter of L. rationalis "of reason" (see rational).

ratsbane --- rat poison, 1523, from rat + bane (q.v.).

rattan --- 1660, from Malay rotan, from raut "to trim, strip."

rattle (v.) --- c.1330, perhaps in O.E., but not recorded; if not, from M.Du. ratelen, probably of imitative origin (cf. Ger. rasseln "to rattle," Gk. kradao "I rattle"). Sense of "fluster" is first recorded 1869. The noun is first recorded 1500, in ref. to the sound; as a child's toy, recorded from 1519. Rattlesnake is from 1630; shortened form rattler is from 1827. Rattletrap is from 1766, originally a noun, "nicknacks, trifles, odds and ends;" adj. sense of "rickety" is recorded from 1834.

raucous --- 1769, from L. raucus "hoarse," related to ravus "hoarse," from PIE echoic base *reu- "make hoarse cries" (cf. Skt. rayati "barks," ravati "roars;" Gk. oryesthai "to howl, roar;" L. racco "a roar;" O.C.S. rjevo "I roar;" Lith. rekti "roar;" O.E. rarian "to wail, bellow"). M.E. had rauc, in the same sense, from the same source.

raunchy --- 1939, "clumsy, careless, sloppy," U.S. Army Air Corps slang, of unknown origin. Origins among cadets in Texas suggest possible connection to Mex.Sp. rancho (see ranch), which had connotations of animal filth by 1864. Sense of "coarse, vulgar, smutty" is from 1967. Raunch (n.) is a 1964 back-formation.

ravage --- 1611, from Fr. ravager "lay waste, devastate," from O.Fr. ravage "destruction," especially by flood, 14c., from ravir "to take away hastily" (see ravish).

rave (v.) --- c.1374, "to show signs of madness or delirium," from O.Fr. raver, variant of resver "to dream, wander, rave," of unknown origin (see reverie). The identical (in form) verb meaning "to wander, stray, rove" first appeared c.1300 in Scottish and northern dialect, and is probably from an unrelated Scand. word (cf. Icelandic rafa). Sense of "talk enthusiastically about" first recorded 1704. Noun meaning "rowdy party" is from 1960, though rave-up was British slang for "wild party" from 1940; specific modern sense of "mass party with loud, fast electronic music and often psychedelic drugs" is from 1989. Raver, from this sense, is first recorded 1991. Raving is attested from 1475; sense of "remarkable" is from 1841.

ravel --- 1582, "to untangle, unwind," also "to become tangled or confused" (1585), from Du. ravelen "to tangle, fray, unweave," from rafel "frayed thread." The seemingly contradictory senses of this word (ravel and unravel are both synonyms and antonyms) are reconciled by its roots in weaving and sewing: as threads become unwoven, they get tangled.

raven --- O.E. hræfn (Mercian), hrefn; hræfn (Northumbrian, W.Saxon), from P.Gmc. *khrabanas (cf. O.N. hrafn, Dan. ravn, Du. raaf, O.H.G. hraban, Ger. Rabe "raven," O.E. hroc "rook"), from PIE base *qer-, *qor-, imitative of harsh sounds (cf. L. crepare "to creak, clatter," cornix "crow," corvus "raven;" Gk. korax "raven," korone "crow;" O.C.S. kruku "raven;" Lith. krauklys "crow").

ravening --- 1526, the surviving prp. of an extinct verb raven "to prey, to plunder" (c.1374, implied in ravener), from O.Fr. raviner (see ravenous), and is not etymologically related to raven (n.).

ravenous --- 1412, "obsessed with plundering, extremely greedy," from O.Fr. ravinos "rapacious, violent," from raviner "to seize," from ravine "violent rush, robbery" (see ravine). Meaning "voracious, very hungry" is from c.1430.

ravine --- 1760, "deep gorge," from Fr. ravin "a gully" (1690, from O.Fr. raviner "to hollow out"), and from Fr. ravine "violent rush of water, gully," from O.Fr. ravine "violent rush, robbery, rapine," both ult. from L. rapina (see rapine); sense influenced by L. rapidus "rapid." M.E. ravine meant "booty, plunder, robbery" from c.1350-1500. Cf. ravening.

ravioli --- M.E. raffyolys (c.1440), also rafyols. The word probably was re-borrowed several times, most recently in 1841, from It. ravioli, a dialectal plural of raviolo, a diminutive, perhaps of rava "turnip."

ravish --- c.1300, "to seize (someone) by violence, carry (a person, esp. a woman) away," from O.Fr. raviss-, prp. stem of ravir "to seize, take away hastily," from V.L. *rapire, from L. rapere "to seize, hurry away" (see rapid). Meaning "to commit rape upon" is recorded from 1436. Ravishing "act of plundering" is from c.1300; in the sense of "enchanting" it is attested from c.1430, from notion of "carrying off from earth to heaven" (c.1330).

raw --- O.E. hreaw "uncooked, raw," from P.Gmc. *khrawaz (cf. O.N. hrar, M.Du. rau, O.H.G. hrawer, Ger. roh), from PIE base *krowos "congealed, bloody" (cf. Skt. kravih "raw flesh," krura- "bloody, raw, hard;" Gk. kreas "flesh;" L. crudus "not cooked," cruor "thick blood;" O.Ir. cru, Lith. kraujas, O.C.S. kruvi "blood;" O.E. hrot "thick fluid, serum"). Meaning "tender, sore" is from c.1390; of persons, "inexperienced" from 1561; "damp and chilly" first recorded 1546. Rawhide is first attested 1658; raw material is from 1796. Phrase in the raw "naked" (1933) is from the raw "exposed flesh," attested from 1823. Raw deal "harsh treatment" first attested 1912.

ray (1) --- beam of light, c.1300, from O.Fr. rai (nom. rais) "ray, spoke," from L. radius "ray, spoke, staff, rod" (see radius). Not common before 17c.; of the sun, usually in reference to heat (beam being preferred for light). Science fiction ray-gun is first recorded 1931 (but cf. Martian heat ray weapon in H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds," 1898).

ray (2) --- type of fish related to sharks, 1323, from Fr. raie (13c.), from L. raia, of unknown origin.

Raymond --- masc. proper name, from O.Fr. Raimund, from Frank. *Raginmund "counsel-protection" or "might-protection," from ragin "counsel, might" + mund "hand, protection" (cf. O.H.G. munt, O.E. mund, second element in Edmund, Sigismund, etc.).

rayon --- 1924, chosen by National Retail Dry Goods Association of America, probably from Fr. rayon "beam of light, ray," from rai (see ray (1)), which was also used in M.E. as a name for a type of cloth. So called because it is shiny. A more marketable alternative than the original patented name, artificial silk (1884), or the intervening attempt, Glos, which was "killed by ridicule" ("Draper's Record," June 14, 1924)

raze --- 1547, alteration of racen "pull or knock down" (a building or town), from earlier rasen (14c.) "to scratch, slash, scrape, erase," from O.Fr. raser "to scrape, shave," from M.L. rasare, frequentative of L. radere (pp. rasus) "to scrape, shave," perhaps from PIE *razd- (cf. L. rastrum "rake"), possible extended form of PIE base *red- "to scrape, scratch, gnaw" (see rodent).

razor --- c.1290, from O.Fr. rasour "a razor" (12c.), from raser "to scrape, shave" (see raze). The use of razorback for a type of pig with a sharp ridge-like back dates from 1849.

razz (v.) --- to hiss or deride, 1920, shortened and altered variant of raspberry (q.v.) in its rhyming slang sense.

razzle-dazzle --- 1889, Amer.Eng. slang, varied reduplication of dazzle (q.v.).

razzmatazz --- 1894, perhaps a varied reduplication of jazz (q.v.). The word had early associations with that kind of music (later esp. in contrast to swing).

re --- with reference to, 1707, from L. in re "in the matter of," ablative case of res "matter, thing." Its use in Eng. is execrated by Fowler in three different sections of "Modern English Usage."

re- --- prefix meaning "back to the original place, again," also with a sense of "undoing," c.1200, from O.Fr. and directly from L. re- "again, back." Often merely intensive.

reach --- O.E. ræcan "to extend, hold forth," also "to succeed in touching," from W.Gmc. *raikjan "stretch out the hand" (cf. O.Fris. reka, M.Du. reiken), from P.Gmc. *raikijanau, perhaps from PIE base *reig- "to stretch out" (cf. Skt. rjyati "he stretches himself," riag "torture" (by racking); Gk. oregein "to reach, extend;" Lith. raizius "to stretch oneself;" O.Ir. rigim "I stretch"), related to base *reg- "to rule, to lead straight, to put right" (see regal). Shakespeare uses the now-obsolete past tense form raught (O.E. ræhte). Meaning "arrive at" is c.1330; that of "succeed in influencing" is from 1667. The noun is first recorded 1526; earliest use is of stretches of water. Reach-me-down "ready-made" (of clothes) is recorded from 1862, from notion of being on the rack in a finished state.

reaction --- 1611, from re- "again, anew" + action (q.v.). Modeled on Fr. réaction, older It. reattione, from M.L. reactionem (nom. reactio), from L.L. react-, pp. stem of reagere "react," from re- "back" + agere "to do, act" (see act). Originally scientific; physiological sense is attested from 1805; psychological sense first recorded 1887; general sense of "action or feeling in response" (to a statement, event, etc.) is recorded from 1914. The verb react is attested from 1644.

reactionary --- 1840, on model of Fr. réactionnaire (19c.), from réaction (see reaction). In Marxist use, opposed to revolutionary and used opprobriously in ref. to opponents of communism (1858).

reactivate --- 1903, from re- "back, again" + activate (see active).

reactor --- one that reacts, 1890 (see reaction). In nuclear sense, attested from 1945.

read --- O.E. rædan (W.Saxon), redan (Anglian) "to explain, read, rule, advise" (related to ræd, red "advice"), from P.Gmc. *raedanan (cf. O.N. raða, O.Fris. reda, Du. raden, O.H.G. ratan, Ger. raten "to advise, counsel, guess"), from PIE base *rei- "to reason, count" (cf. Skt. radh- "to succeed, accomplish," Gk. arithmos "number amount," O.C.S. raditi "to take thought, attend to," O.Ir. im-radim "to deliberate, consider"). Connected to riddle via notion of "interpret." Words from this root in most modern Gmc. languages still mean "counsel, advise." Transference to "understand the meaning of written symbols" is unique to O.E. and (perhaps under Eng. influence) O.N. raða. Most languages use a word rooted in the idea of "gather up" as their word for "read" (cf. Fr. lire, from L. legere). Sense of "make out the character of (a person)" is attested from 1611. The noun meaning "an act of reading" is recorded from 1825. Read up "study" is from 1842; read-only in computer jargon is recorded from 1961. O.E. ræda "advise, counsel" is in the name of Anglo-Saxon king Æðelræd II (968-1016), lit. "good counsel," and in his epithet Unræd, usually rendered into Mod.Eng. as Unready, but really meaning "no-counsel." Rede "counsel" survived in poetic usage to 17c. An attempted revival by Scott (19c.) failed, though it is used in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."

Reading --- county town of Berkshire, O.E. Readingum (c.900), "(Settlement of) the family or followers of a man called *Read."

readjust --- 1742, from re- "back, again" + adjust (q.v.).

readmit --- 1611, from re- "back, again" + admit (q.v.).

ready --- O.E. ræde, geræde, from P.Gmc. *garaidijaz "arranged" (cf. O.Fris. rede, M.Du. gereit, O.H.G. reiti, M.H.G. bereite, Ger. bereit, O.N. greiðr "ready, plain," Goth. garaiþs "ordered, arranged"). Lengthened in M.E. by change of ending. The verb is recorded from c.1330. Readily is from c.1320. Ready-made first attested c.1440; ready-to-wear is from 1895.

reaffirm --- 1611, "to confirm anew," from re- "back, again" + affirm (q.v.). Meaning "to assert anew" is recorded from 1842.

Reagan --- surname, from Ir. riagan, lit. "little king." Reaganism first recorded 1966, in ref. to policies of Ronald W. Reagan, U.S. governor of California 1967-75, U.S. president 1981-89.

reagent --- 1797, from re- (q.v.) + agent "substance that produces a chemical reaction" (see agent).

real (adj.) --- 1448, "relating to things" (esp. property), from O.Fr. reel, from L.L. realis "actual," from L. res "matter, thing," of unknown origin. Meaning "genuine" is recorded from 1559; that of "actually existing" is attested from 1597; sense of "unaffected, no-nonsense" is from 1847. Real estate is first recorded 1666 and retains the oldest Eng. sense of the word; Realistic "true to reality" (in art, etc.) is from 1856; meaning "having a practical view of life" is attested from 1862. Noun phrase real time is from 1953; get real, usually an interjection, was U.S. college slang in 1960s, reached wide popularity c.1987.

real (n.) --- small Spanish silver coin, 1588, from Sp. real, noun use of real (adj.) "regal," from L. regalis "regal." Esp. in ref. to the real de plata, which circulated in the U.S. till c.1850 and in Mexico till 1897.

realign --- 1923, in ref. to European international relations, from re- "back, again" + align (q.v.). Realignment is recorded from 1889, in U.S. internal politics.

realism --- 1817, from real (adj.), after Fr. réalisme or Ger. Realismus, from L.L. realis "real." Opposed to idealism in philosophy, art, etc. In ref. to scholastic doctrine of Thomas Aquinas (opposed to nominalism) it is recorded from 1826. Meaning "close resemblance to the scene" (in art, literature, etc., often with ref. to unpleasant details) is attested from 1856.

reality --- 1550, originally a legal term in the sense of "fixed property," from M.L. realitatem (nom. realitas), from L.L. realis; meaning "real existence" is from 1647.

realize --- 1611, "bring into existence," from Fr. réaliser "make real," from M.Fr. real "actual," from O.Fr. (see real (adj.)). Sense of "understand clearly" is first recorded 1775.

really --- c.1430, originally in reference to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Sense of "actually" is from early 15c. Purely emphatic use dates from 1610; interrogative use (oh, really?) is first recorded 1815.

realm --- c.1290, from O.Fr. reaume, probably from roiaume "kingdom," altered (by influence of L. regalis "regal") from Gallo-Romance *regiminem, accusative form of L. regimen "system of government, rule" (see regimen).

realpolitik --- 1914, from Ger., lit. "practical politics."

realtor --- 1916, "real estate agent," Amer.Eng., coined by C. Chadbourn of Minneapolis, Minn.; patented as Realtor in 1948 by National Association of Real Estate Boards.

realty --- 1670, "real estate," from earlier meaning (1544) "real possession."

ream (n.) --- 1356, from O.Fr. reyme, from Sp. resma, from Arabic rizmah "bundle" (of paper), from rasama "collect into a bundle." The Moors brought manufacture of cotton paper to Spain. Early variant rym (1470s) suggests a Du. influence (cf. Du. riem), probably during the time of Spanish Hapsburg control of Holland. Properly, 20 quires or 480 sheets, usually 500 or more to allow for waste. Of paper for printing, 21 and a half quires, or 516 sheets (printers' ream).