roach ['rōch] -n

  1. a silver-green European freshwater cyprinid fish ( Rutilus rutilus)
  2. any of various related fishes (as some shiners)
  3. any of several American freshwater sunfishes (family Centrarchidae)
  4. a curved cut in the edge of a sail to prevent chafing or to secure a better fit
  5. a roll of hair brushed straight back from the forehead or side of the head
  6. to cut (as a horse's mane) so that the remainder stands upright
  7. to cause to arch
  8. to brush (the hair) in a roach often used with up
  9. cockroach
  10. the butt of a marijuana cigarette

roach back -n

  1. an arched back (as of a dog)

roach clip -n

  1. a metal clip that resembles tweezers and is used by marijuana smokers to hold a roach

road ['rōd] -n, adj

  1. roadstead often used in pl.
  2. an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals
  3. one lying outside of an urban district : highway
  4. roadbed
  5. a route or way to an end, conclusion, or circumstance
    • on the road to success
  6. railway
  7. a series of scheduled visits or appearances (as games or performances) in several locations or the travel necessary to make these visits
    • the team is on the road
    • on tour with the musical's road company

road·abil·i·ty [,rō-də-'bi-lə-tē] -n

  1. the qualities (as steadiness and balance) desirable in an automobile on the road

road agent -n

  1. a highwayman who formerly operated esp. on stage routes in unsettled districts

road·bed ['rōd-,bed] -n

  1. the bed on which the ties, rails, and ballast of a railroad rest
  2. the ballast or the upper surface of the ballast on which the ties rest
  3. the earth foundation of a road prepared for surfacing
  4. the part of the surface of a road traveled by vehicles

road·block [-,bläk] -n, vt

  1. a barricade often with traps or mines for holding up an enemy at a point on a road covered by fire
  2. a road barricade set up esp. by law enforcement officers
  3. an obstruction in a road
  4. something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective

road hog -n

  1. a driver of an automotive vehicle who obstructs others esp. by occupying part of another's traffic lane

road·hold·ing ['rōd-,hōl-diŋ] -n

  1. the qualities of an automobile that tend to make it respond precisely to the driver's steering

road·house ['rōd-,hau̇s] -n

  1. an inn or tavern usu. outside city limits providing liquor and usu. meals, dancing, and often gambling

road·ie ['rō-dē] -n

  1. a person who works (as by moving heavy equipment) for traveling entertainers

road·kill ['rōd-,kil] -n, adj

  1. the remains of an animal that has been killed on a road by a motor vehicle
  2. one that falls victim to intense competition
    • political roadkill

road map -n

  1. a map showing roads esp. for automobile travel
  2. a detailed plan to guide progress toward a goal
  3. a detailed explanation

road metal -n

  1. broken stone or cinders used in making and repairing roads or ballasting railroads

road racing -n

  1. racing over public roads
  2. automobile racing over roads or over a closed course designed to simulate public roads

road rage -n

  1. a motorist's uncontrolled anger that is usu. provoked by another motorist's irritating act and is expressed in aggressive or violent behavior

road roller -n

  1. one that rolls roadways
  2. a machine with heavy wide smooth rollers for compacting roadbeds

road·run·ner ['rōd-,rə-nər] -n

  1. a largely terrestrial bird ( Geococcyx californianus) of the cuckoo family that has a long tail and a crest, is a speedy runner, and inhabits arid regions from the southwestern U.S. to Mexico
  2. a closely related bird ( G. velox) of Mexico and Central America

road show -n

  1. a theatrical performance given by a troupe on tour
  2. a special engagement of a new motion picture usu. at increased prices
  3. a promotional presentation or meeting conducted in a series of locations

road·side ['rōd-,sīd] -n, adj

  1. the strip of land along a road : the side of a road

road·stead ['rōd-,sted] -n

  1. a place less enclosed than a harbor where ships may ride at anchor

road·ster ['rōd-stər] -n

  1. a horse suitable for riding or driving on roads
  2. a utility saddle horse of the hackney type
  3. a light carriage : buggy
  4. an automobile with an open body that seats two and has a folding fabric top and often a luggage compartment or rumble seat in the rear

road test -n, vt

  1. a test of a vehicle under practical operating conditions on the road
  2. a test on the road of a person's driving ability as a requirement for a driver's license

road trip -n, vi

  1. a trip taken by a sports team to play one or more away games
  2. an extended trip in a motor vehicle

road warrior -n

  1. a person who travels frequently esp. on business

road·way ['rōd-,wā] -n

  1. the strip of land over which a road passes
  2. road
  3. roadbed
  4. the part of a bridge used by vehicles

road·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. work done in constructing or repairing roads
  2. conditioning for an athletic contest (as a boxing match) consisting mainly of long runs

road·wor·thy [-,wər-thē] -adj, n

  1. fit for use on the road
    • a roadworthy vehicle

roam ['rōm] -vb, n

  1. to go from place to place without purpose or direction : wander
  2. to travel purposefully unhindered through a wide area
    • cattle roam ing in search of water
  3. to use a cellular phone outside one's local calling area
    • roam ing charges
  4. to range or wander over

roan ['rōn also 'rō-ən] -adj

  1. having the base color (as red, black, or brown) muted and lightened by admixture of white hairs
    • a roan horse
    • a roan calf
  2. an animal (as a horse) with a roan coat usu. used of a red roan when unqualified
  3. the color of a roan horse used esp. when the base color is red
  4. sheepskin tanned with sumac and colored and finished to imitate morocco

roar ['rȯr] -vb

  1. to utter or emit a full loud prolonged sound
  2. to sing or shout with full force
  3. to make or emit a loud confused sound (as background reverberation or rumbling)
  4. to laugh loudly
  5. to be boisterous or disorderly
  6. to proceed or rush with great noise or commotion
  7. to make a loud noise during inhalation (as that of a horse affected with roaring)
  8. to utter or proclaim with a roar
  9. to cause to roar
  10. the deep cry of a wild animal (as a lion)
  11. a loud deep cry (as of pain or anger)
  12. a loud continuous confused sound
    • the roar of the crowd
  13. a boisterous outcry

roar·er ['rȯr-ər] -n

  1. one that roars
  2. a horse subject to roaring

roar·ing ['rȯr-iŋ] -adj, adv

  1. making or characterized by a sound resembling a roar : loud
    • roaring applause
  2. marked by prosperity esp. of a temporary nature : booming
  3. great in intensity or degree
    • in the roaring heat
    • a roaring success

roaring -adv

  1. extremely
    • was roaring hungry -- Herman Wouk
  2. noisy inhalation in a horse esp. upon exercising that is caused by paralysis and muscular atrophy of part of the larynx

roaring boy -n

  1. a noisy street bully esp. of Elizabethan and Jacobean England who intimidated passersby

roaring forties -n

  1. a tract of ocean between roughly 40 and 50 degrees latitude south characterized by strong westerly winds and rough seas
  2. these winds

roast ['rōst] -vb

  1. to cook by exposing to dry heat (as in an oven or before a fire) or by surrounding with hot embers, sand, or stones
    • roast a potato in ashes
  2. to dry and parch by exposure to heat
    • roast coffee beans
  3. to heat (inorganic material) with access of air and without fusing to effect change (as expulsion of volatile matter, oxidation, or removal of sulfur from sulfide ores)
  4. to heat to excess
    • roast ed by the summer sun
  5. to subject to severe criticism or ridicule
    • films have been roast ed by most critics -- H. J. Seldes
  6. to honor (a person) at a roast
  7. to cook food by heat
  8. to undergo being roasted
  9. a piece of meat suitable for roasting
  10. a gathering at which food is roasted before an open fire or in hot ashes or sand
  11. an act or process of roasting
  12. severe banter or criticism
  13. a banquet honoring a person (as a celebrity) who is subjected to humorous tongue-in-cheek ridicule by friends
  14. that has been roasted
    • roast beef

roast·er ['rōs-tər] -n

  1. one that roasts
  2. a device for roasting
  3. : something adapted to roasting: as
  4. a suckling pig
  5. a bird fit for roasting
  6. a young chicken larger than a broiler

roast·ing ear ['rōs-tiŋ-,ir, sense 2 usu 'rō-sᵊn-,ir or 'rōs-,nir] -n

  1. an ear of young corn roasted or suitable for roasting usu. in the husk
  2. an ear of corn suitable for boiling or steaming

rob ['räb] -vb, n

  1. to take something away from by force : steal from
  2. to take personal property from by violence or threat
  3. to remove valuables without right from (a place)
  4. to take the contents of (a receptacle)
  5. to take away as loot : steal
    • rob jewelry
  6. to deprive of something due, expected, or desired
  7. to withhold unjustly or injuriously
  8. to commit robbery

ro·ba·lo [rō-'bä-(,)lō] -n

  1. snook

ro·band ['rō-,band, -bənd] -n

  1. a piece of spun yarn or marline used to fasten the head of a sail to a spar

robber baron -n

  1. an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
  2. a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics

robber fly -n

  1. any of a family (Asilidae) of predaceous dipteran flies including some resembling bumblebees

rob·bery ['rä-b(ə-)rē] -n

  1. the act or practice of robbing
  2. larceny from the person or presence of another by violence or threat

robe ['rōb] -n

  1. a long flowing outer garment
  2. one used for ceremonial occasions or as a symbol of office or profession
  3. a loose garment (as a bathrobe) for informal wear esp. at home
  4. covering, mantle
    • peaks on the axis of the range in their robe s of snow and light -- John Muir
  5. a covering of pelts or fabric for the lower body used while driving or at outdoor events
  6. to clothe or cover with or as if with a robe
  7. to put on a robe
  8. dress

robe de cham·bre [,rōb-də-'shäⁿbrᵊ, -'shäm-brə] -n

  1. dressing gown

rob·in ['rä-bən] -n

  1. a small chiefly European thrush ( Erithacus rubecula) resembling a warbler and having a brownish-olive back and orangish face and breast
  2. any of various Old World songbirds that are related to or resemble the European robin
  3. a large No. American thrush ( Turdus migratorius) with olivaceous to slate-gray upperparts, blackish head and tail, black and whitish streaked throat, and dull reddish breast and underparts

Rob·in Good·fel·low ['rä-bən-'gu̇d-,fe-(,)lō] -n

  1. a mischievous sprite in English folklore

Robin Hood [-,hu̇d] -n

  1. a person or group likened to a heroic outlaw
  2. one that robs the rich and gives to the poor

robin red·breast [-'red-,brest] -n

  1. robin

Rob·in·son Cru·soe ['rä-bə(n)-sən-'krü-(,)sō] -n

  1. a shipwrecked sailor in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoewho lives for many years on a desert island

Rob·in·son projection ['rä-bən-sən-] -n

  1. a compromise map projection showing the poles as lines rather than points and more accurately portraying high latitude lands and water to land ratio

ro·ble ['rō-(,)blā] -n

  1. any of several oaks of California and Mexico

ro·bot ['rō-,bät, -bət] -n

  1. a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being
  2. a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized
  3. an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
  4. a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks
  5. a mechanism guided by automatic controls

ro·bot·ic [rō-'bä-tik, rə-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to mechanical robots
  2. having the characteristics of a robot
    • performs with robotic consistency

ro·bot·ics [rō-'bä-tiks] -n pl but sing in constr, n

  1. technology dealing with the design, construction, and operation of robots in automation

ro·bot·i·za·tion [,rō-,bä-tə-'zā-shən, -bə-] -n

  1. automation
  2. the process of turning a human being into a robot

ro·bot·ize ['rō-,bä-,tīz, -bə-] -vt

  1. to make automatic : equip with robots
  2. to turn (a human being) into a robot

Rob Roy ['räb-'rȯi] -n

  1. a manhattan made with Scotch whisky

ro·bust [rō-'bəst, 'rō-(,)bəst] -adj, adv, n

  1. having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health
  2. having or showing vigor, strength, or firmness
    • a robust debate
    • a robust faith
  3. strongly formed or constructed : sturdy
    • a robust plastic
  4. capable of performing without failure under a wide range of conditions
    • robust software
  5. rough, rude
    • stories...laden with robust, down-home imagery -- Playboy
  6. requiring strength or vigor
    • robust work
  7. full-bodied
    • robust coffee
  8. hearty
    • a robust dinner
  9. of, relating to, resembling, or being a relatively large, heavyset australopithecine (esp. Australopithecus robustusand A. boisei) characterized esp. by heavy molars and small incisors adapted to a vegetarian diet

ro·bus·ta [rō-'bəs-tə] -n

  1. a hardy shrub or tree ( Coffea canephora) that is indigenous to central Africa but has been introduced elsewhere (as in Java) and yields seeds that form a usu. lower quality coffee of commerce than that of arabica
  2. the seeds of robusta esp. roasted and often ground

ro·bus·tious [rō-'bəs-chəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. robust
  2. vigorous in a rough or unrefined way : boisterous

roc ['räk] -n

  1. a legendary bird of great size and strength believed to inhabit the Indian Ocean area

ROC -abbr

  1. Republic of China (Taiwan)

ro·caille [rō-'kī, rä-] -n

  1. a style of ornament developed in the 18th century and characterized by sinuous foliate forms
  2. rococo

Roche limit ['rȯsh-, 'rōsh-] -n

  1. the distance from a planet's center within which a satellite can neither approach nor reside without becoming disrupted by tidal forces

Ro·chelle salt [rō-'shel-] -n

  1. a crystalline salt KNaC 4H 4O 64H 2O that is a mild purgative

roche mou·ton·nee ['rȯsh-,mü-tə-'nā, 'rōsh-] -n

  1. an elongate rounded ice-sculptured hillock of bedrock

roch·et ['rä-chət] -n

  1. a white linen vestment resembling a surplice with close-fitting sleeves worn esp. by bishops and privileged prelates

rock ['räk] -vb

  1. to move back and forth in or as if in a cradle
  2. to cause to sway back and forth
    • a boat rock ed by the waves
  3. to cause to shake violently
  4. to daze with or as if with a vigorous blow
    • a hard right rock ed the contender
  5. to astonish or disturb greatly
    • the scandal rock ed the community
  6. to rouse to excitement (as by performing rock music)
    • rock ed the crowd
  7. to become moved backward and forward under often violent impact
  8. to move gently back and forth
  9. to move forward at a steady pace
  10. to move forward at a high speed
    • the train rock ed through the countryside
  11. to sing, dance to, or play rock music
  12. to be extremely enjoyable, pleasing, or effective
    • her new car rock s
  13. a rocking movement
  14. popular music usu. played on electronically amplified instruments and characterized by a persistent heavily accented beat, repetition of simple phrases, and often country, folk, and blues elements
  15. distaff
  16. the wool or flax on a distaff
  17. a large mass of stone forming a cliff, promontory, or peak
  18. a concreted mass of stony material
  19. broken pieces of such masses
  20. consolidated or unconsolidated solid mineral matter
  21. a particular mass of it
  22. : something like a rock in firmness:
  23. foundation, support
  24. refuge
    • a rock of independent thought...in an ocean of parochialism -- Thomas Molnar
  25. something that threatens or causes disaster often used in pl.
  26. a flavored stick candy with color running through
  27. rock candy
  28. gem
  29. diamond
  30. a small crystallized mass of crack cocaine
  31. crack
  32. the ball used in basketball

rock·a·bil·ly ['rä-kə-,bi-lē] -n

  1. popular music marked by features of rock and country music

rock and roll -n, adj

  1. rock

rock and roller -n

  1. rocker

rock·a·way ['rä-kə-,wā] -n

  1. a light low four-wheel carriage with a fixed top and open sides

rock bass -n

  1. a brown spotted sunfish ( Ambloplites rupestris) found esp. in the upper Mississippi River valley and Great Lakes region

rockbottom -adj

  1. being the very lowest
    • rockbottom prices
  2. fundamental
    • the rockbottom question

rock bottom -n

  1. the lowest or most fundamental part or level

rock·bound ['räk-,bau̇nd] -adj

  1. fringed, surrounded, or covered with rocks : rocky

rock brake -n

  1. any of several ferns that grow chiefly on or among rocks

rock candy -n

  1. boiled sugar crystallized in large masses on string
  2. rock

rock climbing -n, vi

  1. mountain climbing on rocky cliffs

rock cod -n

  1. rockfish

Rock Cornish hen -n

  1. a crossbred domestic chicken produced by interbreeding Cornish and white Plymouth Rock chickens and used esp. for small roasters called also Rock Cornish Rock Cornish game hen

rock crystal -n

  1. crystal

rock dove -n

  1. a bluish-gray dove ( Columba livia) that is indigenous to Eurasia but has been widely established elsewhere including most of No. America and that is the ancestor of many domesticated pigeons and of the feral pigeons found in cities and towns throughout most of the world called also rock pigeon

rock·er ['rä-kər] -n

  1. either of two curving pieces of wood or metal on which an object (as a cradle) rocks
  2. any of various objects (as a rocking chair or an infant's toy having a seat placed between side pieces) that rock on rockers
  3. any of various objects in the form of a rocker or with parts resembling a rocker (as a skate with a curved blade)
  4. any of the curved stripes at the lower part of a chevron worn by a noncommissioned officer above the rank of sergeant
  5. the curved stripe at the upper part of a chevron worn by a chief petty officer
  6. any of various devices that work with a rocking motion
  7. a rock performer, song, or enthusiast

rocker arm -n

  1. a center-pivoted lever actuated by a cam to push an automotive engine valve down

rocker panel -n

  1. the portion of the body paneling of a vehicle that is situated below the doorsills of the passenger compartment

rock·ery ['rä-k(ə-)rē] -n

  1. rock garden

rock·et ['rä-kət, rä-'ket] -n

  1. : any of several plants of the mustard family: as
  2. arugula
  3. dame's rocket
  4. a firework consisting of a case partly filled with a combustible composition fastened to a guiding stick and propelled through the air by the rearward discharge of the gases liberated by combustion
  5. a similar device used as an incendiary weapon or as a propelling unit (as for a lifesaving line)
  6. a jet engine that operates on the same principle as the firework rocket, consists essentially of a combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle, carries either liquid or solid propellants which provide the fuel and oxygen needed for combustion and thus make the engine independent of the oxygen of the air, and is used esp. for the propulsion of a missile (as a bomb or shell) or a vehicle (as an airplane)
  7. a rocket-propelled bomb, missile, projectile, or vehicle
  8. to convey or propel by means of or as if by a rocket
  9. to rise up swiftly, spectacularly, and with force
    • rocket ed to the top of the list
  10. to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket

rock·e·teer [,rä-kə-'tir] -n

  1. one who fires, pilots, or rides in a rocket
  2. a scientist who specializes in rocketry

rocket plane -n

  1. an airplane propelled by rockets

rock·et·ry ['rä-kə-trē] -n

  1. the study of, experimentation with, or use of rockets

rocket ship -n

  1. a rocket-propelled spaceship

rocket sled -n

  1. a rocket-propelled vehicle that runs usu. on a single rail and that is used esp. in aeronautical experimentation

rock·fall ['räk-,fȯl] -n

  1. a mass of falling or fallen rocks

rock·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. : any of various fishes that live among rocks or on rocky bottoms: as
  2. any of a genus ( Sebastes) of scorpaenid fishes including many important food fishes
  3. striped bass
  4. any of several groupers

rock garden -n

  1. a garden laid out among rocks or decorated with rocks and adapted for the growth of particular kinds of plants (as alpines)

rock hind -n

  1. a red-spotted tan to olive-brown grouper ( Epinephelus adscensionis) of the western Atlantic esp. from Massachusetts to southeastern Brazil

rock·hop·per ['räk-,hä-pər] -n

  1. a small penguin ( Eudyptes chrysocome) with a short thick bill and a yellow crest

rock hound ['räk-,hau̇n-diŋ] -n

  1. a specialist in geology
  2. an amateur rock and mineral collector

rock·i·ness ['rä-kē-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being rocky

rocking chair -n

  1. a chair mounted on rockers

rocking horse -n

  1. a toy horse mounted on rockers called also hobbyhorse

rock·ling ['rä-kliŋ] -n

  1. any of several small rather elongate marine bony fishes (esp. genera Enchelyopusand Gaidropsarus) of the cod family

rock lobster -n

  1. spiny lobster

rock maple -n

  1. sugar maple

rock 'n' roll -n, adj

(variant of rock and roll)

  1. rock

rock oil -n

  1. petroleum

rock pigeon -n

  1. rock dove

rock rabbit -n

  1. hyrax
  2. pika

rockribbed ['räk-'ribd] -adj

  1. rocky
  2. firm and inflexible in doctrine or integrity
    • a rockribbed conservative community -- John Hale

rock·rose ['räk-,rōz] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Cistusof the family Cistaceae, the rockrose family) of shrubs or woody herbs of the Mediterranean region with simple entire leaves, roselike flowers, and a capsular fruit

rock salt -n

  1. common salt occurring in solid form as a mineral
  2. salt artificially prepared in large crystals or masses

rock·shaft ['räk-,shaft] -n

  1. a shaft that oscillates on its journals instead of revolving

rock shrimp -n

  1. any of several hard-shelled warm-water shrimp (genus Sicyonia,esp. S. brevirostris) that are harvested chiefly in the Gulf of Mexico and widely sold as food

rock tripe -n

  1. any of various dark leathery umbilicate foliose lichens (as of the genus Umbilicaria) that are widely distributed on rocks in boreal and alpine areas and are sometimes used as food

rock wallaby -n

  1. any of various medium-sized kangaroos (genus Petrogale) having a gray or brown coat usu. with distinctive markings

rock·weed ['räk-,wēd] -n

  1. any of various coarse brown algae (order Fucales, esp. genera Fucus, Ascophyllum,and Sargassum) growing in marine environments free-floating or attached to rocks

rock wool -n

  1. mineral wool made by blowing a jet of steam through molten rock (as limestone or siliceous rock) or through slag and used chiefly for heat and sound insulation

rocky ['rä-kē] -adj

  1. abounding in or consisting of rocks
  2. difficult to impress or affect : insensitive
  3. firmly held : steadfast
  4. unstable, wobbly
  5. physically upset or mentally confused (as from drinking excessively)
  6. marked by obstacles or problems : difficult, rough
    • a financially rocky year -- Michael Murray

Rocky Mountain sheep -n

  1. bighorn sheep

Rocky Mountain spotted fever -n

  1. an acute disease that is characterized by chills, fever, prostration, pains in muscles and joints, and a red to purple eruption and that is caused by a rickettsia ( Rickettsia rickettsii) usu. transmitted by an ixodid tick and esp. either the American dog tick or a wood tick ( Dermacentor andersoni)

ro·co·co [rə-'kō-(,)kō, rō-kə-'kō] -n

  1. rococo work or style

rococo -adj

  1. of or relating to an artistic style esp. of the 18th century characterized by fanciful curved asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation
  2. of or relating to an 18th century musical style marked by light gay ornamentation and departure from thorough-bass and polyphony
  3. excessively ornate or intricate

rod ['räd] -n, adj

  1. a straight slender stick growing on or cut from a tree or bush
  2. osier
  3. a stick or bundle of twigs used to punish
  4. punishment
  5. a shepherd's cudgel
  6. a pole with a line and usu. a reel attached for fishing
  7. a slender bar (as of wood or metal)
  8. a bar or staff for measuring
  9. scepter
  10. a wand or staff carried as a badge of office (as of marshal)
  11. a unit of length
  12. a square rod
  13. any of the long rod-shaped photosensitive receptors in the retina responsive to faint light
  14. a rod-shaped bacterium
  15. handgun

rode ['rīd] -vb, adj

(variant of ride)

  1. to sit and travel on the back of an animal that one directs
  2. to travel in or on a conveyance
  3. to travel as if on a conveyance : be borne
    • rode on a wave of popularity
  4. to lie moored or anchored
    • a ship ride s at anchor
  5. sail
  6. to move like a floating object
    • the moon rode in the sky
  7. to become supported on a point or surface
  8. to travel over a surface
    • the car ride s well
  9. to move on the body
    • shorts that ride up
  10. to continue without interference
    • let it ride
  11. to be contingent : depend
    • plans on which the future ride s
  12. to become bet
    • a lot of money riding on the favorite
  13. to travel on
    • ride a bike
    • ride the bus
  14. to move with like a rider
    • ride the waves
  15. to traverse by conveyance
    • rode 500 miles
  16. to ride a horse in
    • ride a race
  17. survive, outlast usu. used with out
    • rode out the gale
  18. to traverse on horseback to inspect or maintain
    • ride fence
  19. to mount in copulation used of a male animal
  20. obsess, oppress
    • ridden by anxiety
  21. to harass persistently : nag
  22. tease, rib
  23. carry, convey
  24. to project over : overlap
  25. to give with (a punch) to soften the impact
  26. to keep in partial engagement by resting a foot continuously on the pedal
    • ride the brakes
  27. an act of riding
  28. a trip on horseback or by vehicle
  29. a way (as a road or path) suitable for riding
  30. any of various mechanical devices (as at an amusement park) for riding on
  31. a trip on which gangsters take a victim to murder him
  32. something likened to such a trip
    • take the taxpayers for a ride
  33. a means of transportation
  34. the qualities of travel comfort in a vehicle

ro·dent ['rō-dᵊnt] -n, adj

  1. any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge
  2. a small mammal (as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent

ro·den·ti·cide [rō-'den-tə-,sīd] -n

  1. an agent that kills, repels, or controls rodents

rodent ulcer -n

  1. a chronic persisting ulcer of the exposed skin and esp. of the face that is destructive locally, spreads slowly, and is usu. a carcinoma derived from basal cells

ro·deo ['rō-dē-,ō, rə-'dā-(,)ō] -n

  1. roundup
  2. a public performance featuring bronco riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, and Brahma bull riding
  3. a contest resembling a rodeo

rodeo -vi

  1. to participate in a rodeo

rod·man ['räd-mən, -,man] -n

  1. a surveyor's assistant who holds the leveling rod

ro·do·mon·tade [,rä-də-mən-'tād, ,rō-, -'täd] -n

  1. a bragging speech
  2. vain boasting or bluster : rant

roe ['rō] -n

  1. doe
  2. the eggs of a fish esp. when still enclosed in the ovarian membrane
  3. the eggs or ovaries of an invertebrate (as the coral of a lobster)

roe·buck ['rō-,bək] -n

  1. roe deer
  2. the male roe deer

roe deer -n

  1. either of two small European or Asian deer ( Capreolus capreolusand C. pygarus) that have short erect antlers forked at the summit, are reddish-brown in summer and grayish in winter, have a white rump patch, and are noted for their nimbleness and grace

roent·gen ['rent-gən, 'rənt-, -jən, -shən] -adj

  1. of or relating to X-rays
    • roentgen examinations

roentgen -n

  1. the international unit of x-radiation or gamma radiation equal to the amount of radiation that produces in one cubic centimeter of dry air at 0C and standard atmospheric pressure ionization of either sign equal to one electrostatic unit of charge

roent·gen·i·um [rent-'ge-nē-əm, rənt-, -'je-] -n

  1. a short-lived radioactive element produced artificially

roent·gen·o·gram ['rent-gə-nə-,gram, 'rənt-, -jə-, -shə-] -n

  1. radiograph

roent·gen·og·ra·phy [,rent-gə-'nä-grə-fē, ,rənt-, -jə-, -shə-] -n, adj, adv

  1. radiography

roent·gen·ol·o·gy [-'nä-lə-jē] -n, adj, adv

  1. radiology

roentgen ray -n

  1. x-ray

ro·ga·tion [rō-'gā-shən] -n

  1. litany, supplication
  2. the religious observance of the Rogation Days often used in pl.

Rogation Day -n

  1. any of the days of prayer esp. for the harvest observed on the three days before Ascension Day and by Roman Catholics also on April 25

rog·er ['rä-jər] -interj, vt

  1. used esp. in radio and signaling to indicate that a message has been received and understood

rogue ['rōg] -n, adj, adv

  1. vagrant, tramp
  2. a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel
  3. a mischievous person : scamp
  4. a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave
  5. an individual exhibiting a chance and usu. inferior biological variation
  6. to weed out inferior, diseased, or nontypical individuals from a crop plant or a field
  7. resembling or suggesting a rogue elephant esp. in being isolated, aberrant, dangerous, or uncontrollable
  8. corrupt, dishonest
    • rogue cops
  9. of or being a nation whose leaders defy international law or norms of international behavior
    • rogue states

rogue elephant -n

  1. a vicious elephant that separates from the herd and roams alone
  2. one whose behavior resembles that of a rogue elephant in being aberrant or independent

rogu·ery ['rō-g(ə-)rē] -n

  1. an act or behavior characteristic of a rogue
  2. mischievous play

rogues' gallery -n

  1. a collection of pictures of persons arrested as criminals
  2. a collection or list likened to a rogues' gallery

ROI -abbr

  1. return on investment

roil ['rȯi(-ə)l, vt 2 is also 'rī(-ə)l] -vb

  1. to make turbid by stirring up the sediment or dregs of
  2. to stir up : disturb, disorder
  3. rile
  4. to move turbulently : be in a state of turbulence or agitation
    • conflicting emotions roil ing inside her

roily ['rȯi-lē] -adj

  1. full of sediment or dregs : muddy
  2. turbulent
    • roily waters

rois·ter ['rȯi-stər] -n

  1. one that roisters : roisterer

roister [-st(ə-)riŋ] -vi, n, adj, adv

  1. to engage in noisy revelry : carouse

ROK -abbr

  1. Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Ro·land ['rō-lənd] -n

  1. a stalwart defender of the Christians against the Saracens in the Charlemagne legends who is killed at Roncesvalles

role ['rōl] -n

  1. a character assigned or assumed
    • had to take on the role of both father and mother
  2. a socially expected behavior pattern usu. determined by an individual's status in a particular society
  3. a part played by an actor or singer
  4. a function or part performed esp. in a particular operation or process
    • played a major role in the negotiations

role model -n

  1. a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others

roleplay ['rōl-,plā, -'plā] -vt

  1. to act out the role of
  2. to represent in action
    • students were asked to roleplay the thoughts and feelings of each character -- R. G. Lambert
  3. to play a role

rolf ['rȯlf also 'rȯf] -vt, n

  1. to practice Rolfing on

Rolf·ing ['rȯl-fiŋ also 'rȯ-] -service mark

  1. used for a system of muscle massage intended to serve as both physical and emotional therapy

roll ['rōl] -n

  1. a written document that may be rolled up : scroll
  2. a document containing an official or formal record
    • the roll s of parliament
  3. a manuscript book
  4. a list of names or related items : catalog
  5. : an official list
    • the voter roll s
    : as
  6. muster roll
  7. a list of members of a school or class or of members of a legislative body
  8. : something that is rolled up into a cylinder or ball or rounded as if rolled
    • roll s of fat
    : as
  9. a quantity (as of fabric or paper) rolled up to form a single package
  10. a hairdo in which some or all of the hair is rolled or curled up or under
  11. any of various food preparations rolled up for cooking or serving
    • cabbage roll s
  12. a small piece of baked yeast dough
  13. a cylindrical twist of tobacco
  14. a roll of paper on which music for a player piano is recorded in perforations which actuate the keys
  15. a flexible case (as of leather) in which articles may be rolled and fastened by straps or clasps
    • jewelry roll
  16. paper money folded or rolled into a wad
  17. bankroll
  18. : something that performs a rolling action or movement : roller
  19. a wheel for making decorative lines on book covers
  20. a design impressed by such a tool
  21. to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a surface
  22. to cause to revolve by turning over and over on or as if on an axis
  23. to cause to move in a circular manner
    • they roll ed their eyes at the absurdity
  24. to form into a mass by turning over and over
  25. to impel forward with an easy continuous motion
  26. to cause to move in a given direction by or as if by turning a crank
    • roll ed down the window
  27. to put a wrapping around : enfold, envelop
  28. to wrap round on itself : shape into a ball or roll
    • roll ed up the newspaper
  29. to produce by such shaping
    • roll ed his own cigarettes
  30. to press, spread, or level with a roller : make smooth, even, or compact
    • hulled and roll ed oats
    • roll paint
    often used with out
    • roll ed out the dough
  31. to move on rollers or wheels
    • roll ed the patient into the operating room
  32. to cause to begin operating or moving
    • roll the cameras
  33. to sound with a full reverberating tone
    • roll ed out the words
  34. to make a continuous beating sound upon : sound a roll upon
    • roll ed their drums
  35. to utter with a trill
    • roll ed his r 's
  36. to play (a chord) in arpeggio style
  37. to combine so as to comprise one entity usu. used in the phrase rolled into one
    • a shopping center, amusement park, and nightclub all roll ed into one
  38. to rob (a drunk, sleeping, or unconscious person) usu. by going through the pockets
  39. rob
  40. bowl
  41. to move along a surface by rotation without sliding
  42. to turn over and over
    • the children roll ed in the grass
  43. to luxuriate in an abundant supply : wallow
    • fairly roll ing in money
  44. to move onward or around as if by completing a revolution : elapse, pass
    • the months roll on
  45. to shift the gaze continually
    • eyes roll ing in terror
  46. to revolve on an axis
  47. to move about : roam, wander
  48. to go forward in an easy, gentle, or undulating manner
    • the waves roll ed in
  49. to flow in a continuous stream : pour
    • money was roll ing in
  50. to flow as part of a stream of words or sounds
    • the names roll off your tongue
  51. to have an undulating contour
    • roll ing prairie
  52. to lie extended : stretch
  53. to travel in a vehicle
    • roll ing north on the highway
  54. to become carried on a stream
  55. to move on wheels
  56. to make a deep reverberating sound
    • the thunder roll s
  57. trill
  58. to swing from side to side
    • the ship heaved and roll ed
  59. to walk with a swinging gait : sway
  60. to take the form of a cylinder or ball
  61. to respond to rolling in a specified way
  62. to get under way : begin to move or operate
  63. to move forward : develop and maintain impetus
    • the project finally got roll ing
  64. to proceed or progress with notable ease or success
    • the team was roll ing
  65. to execute a somersault
  66. to run toward one flank usu. parallel to the line of scrimmage esp. before throwing a pass often used with out
  67. a sound produced by rapid strokes on a drum
  68. a sonorous and often rhythmical flow of speech
  69. a heavy reverberatory sound
    • the roll of cannon
  70. : a rolling movement or an action or process involving such movement
    • a roll of the dice
    • an airplane's takeoff roll
    : as
  71. a swaying movement of the body
  72. a side-to-side movement (as of a ship or train)
  73. a flight maneuver in which a complete revolution about the longitudinal axis of an airplane is made with the horizontal direction of flight being approximately maintained
  74. the motion of an aircraft or spacecraft about its longitudinal axis
  75. a somersault executed in contact with the ground

roll·back ['rōl-,bak] -n

  1. the act or an instance of rolling back
    • a government-ordered rollback of gasoline prices

roll back -vt

  1. to reduce (as a commodity price) to or toward a previous level on a national scale
  2. to cause to retreat or withdraw : push back
  3. rescind
    • attempted to roll back antipollution standards

roll bar -n

  1. an overhead metal bar on an automobile that is designed to protect the occupant in case of a rollover

roll cage -n

  1. a protective framework of metal bars encasing the driver of a vehicle (as a racing car)

roll call -n

  1. the act or an instance of calling off a list of names (as for checking attendance)
  2. a time for a roll call
  3. list

roll·er ['rō-lər] -n

  1. a revolving cylinder over or on which something is moved or which is used to press, shape, spread, or smooth something
  2. a cylinder or rod on which something (as a shade) is rolled up
  3. a long heavy ocean wave
  4. tumbler
  5. one that rolls or performs a rolling operation
  6. a slowly rolling ground ball

rol·ler ['rō-lər] -n

  1. any of various mostly brightly colored nonpasserine Old World birds (family Coraciidae) that perform rolling aerial dives during courtship displays
  2. a canary having a song in which the notes are soft and run together

roller bearing -n

  1. a bearing in which the journal rotates in peripheral contact with a number of rollers usu. contained in a cage

Roll·er·blade ['rō-lər-,blād] -trademark

  1. used for an in-line skate

roll·ercoast·er ['rō-lər-,kō-stər, 'rō-lə-,kō-] -adj

  1. marked by numerous ups and downs
    • an entertainer's rollercoaster career

roll·er coast·er ['rō-lər-,kō-stər, 'rō-lē-,kō-] -n

  1. an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) constructed with sharp curves and steep inclines on which cars roll
  2. something resembling a roller coaster
  3. behavior, events, or experiences characterized by sudden and extreme changes
    • an emotional roller coaster

Roller Derby -service mark

  1. used for an entertainment involving a contest between two roller-skating teams on an oval track

roller rink -n

  1. rink

roller skate -n, vi

  1. a shoe with a set of wheels attached for skating over a flat surface
  2. a metal frame with wheels attached that can be fitted to the sole of a shoe

roller towel -n

  1. an endless towel hung from a roller

Rolle's theorem ['rȯlz-, 'rōlz-] -n

  1. a theorem in mathematics: if a curve is continuous, crosses the x-axis at two points, and has a tangent at every point between the two intercepts, its tangent is parallel to the x-axis at some point between the intercepts

roll film -n

  1. a strip of film for still camera use wound on a spool

rol·lick ['rä-lik] -vi, n

  1. to move or behave in a carefree joyous manner : frolic

rol·lick·ing ['rä-li-kiŋ] -adj

  1. boisterously carefree, joyful, or high-spirited
    • a rollicking adventure film

rolling hitch -n

  1. a hitch knot for fastening a line to a spar or to the standing part of another line that will not slip when the pull is parallel to the spar or line

rolling mill -n

  1. an establishment where metal is rolled into plates and bars

rolling pin -n

  1. a long cylinder for rolling out dough

rolling stock -n

  1. the wheeled vehicles owned and used by a railroad or motor carrier

rollneck ['rōl-,nek] -n, adj

  1. turtleneck

rolloff ['rōl-,ȯf] -n

  1. a play-off match in bowling

roll·out ['rōl-,au̇t] -n

  1. the public introduction of a new aircraft
  2. the widespread public introduction of a new product
  3. a football play in which the quarterback rolls to the left or right

roll out -vi

  1. to get out of bed
  2. to introduce (as a new product) esp. for widespread sale to the public

roll·over ['rōl-,ō-vər] -n

  1. the act or process of rolling over
  2. a motor vehicle accident in which the vehicle overturns

roll over -vt

  1. to defer payment of (an obligation)
  2. to renegotiate the terms of (a financial agreement)
  3. to place (invested funds) in a new investment of the same kind
    • roll over IRA funds

rollover arm -n

  1. a fully upholstered chair or sofa arm curving outward from the seat

roll·top desk ['rōl-'täp-] -n

  1. a writing desk with a sliding cover often of parallel slats fastened to a flexible backing

roll up -vt

  1. to increase or acquire by successive accumulations : accumulate
    • rolled up a large majority
  2. to become larger by successive accumulations
  3. to arrive in a vehicle

ro·lypo·ly [,rō-lē-'pō-lē] -adj

  1. being short and pudgy : rotund

rolypoly -n

  1. a roly-poly person or thing
  2. a sweet dough spread with a filling, rolled, and baked or steamed called also roly-poly pudding

Rom ['rōm] -n

  1. gypsy
  2. Romania
  3. Romans

ROM ['räm] -n

  1. a usu. small computer memory that contains special-purpose information (as a program) which cannot be altered

Ro·ma·ic [rō-'mā-ik] -n, adj

  1. the modern Greek vernacular

ro·maine [rō-'mān, 'rō-,] -n

  1. a lettuce that belongs to a cultivar of garden lettuce ( Lactuca sativa) and has long crisp leaves and columnar heads called also cos lettuce

ro·man [rō-'mäⁿ] -n

  1. a metrical romance

Ro·man ['rō-mən] -n

  1. a native or resident of Rome
  2. a citizen of ancient Rome or of the Roman Empire
  3. roman catholic
  4. roman letters or type

Roman -adj

  1. of or relating to Rome or the people of Rome
  2. characteristic of the ancient Romans
    • Roman fortitude
  3. latin
  4. of or relating to the Latin alphabet
  5. of or relating to a type style with upright characters
  6. of or relating to the see of Rome or the Roman Catholic Church
  7. having a semicircular intrados
    • Roman arch
  8. having a prominent slightly aquiline bridge
    • a Roman nose

ro·man a clef [rō-,mä(ⁿ)n-(,)ä-'klā] -n

  1. a novel in which real persons or actual events figure under disguise

Roman candle -n

  1. a cylindrical firework that discharges at intervals balls or stars of fire

Roman Catholic -n

  1. a member of the Roman Catholic Church
  2. of, relating to, or being a Christian church having a hierarchy of priests and bishops under the pope, a liturgy centered in the Mass, veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints, clerical celibacy, and a body of dogma including transubstantiation and papal infallibility

Roman Catholicism -n

  1. the faith, doctrine, or polity of the Roman Catholic Church

ro·mance [rō-'man(t)s, rə-; 'rō-,] -n

  1. a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural
  2. a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usu. heroic, adventurous, or mysterious
  3. a love story esp. in the form of a novel
  4. a class of such literature
  5. something (as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact
  6. an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an esp. heroic era, adventure, or activity
  7. love affair
  8. the Romance languages

romance -vb

  1. to exaggerate or invent detail or incident
  2. to entertain romantic thoughts or ideas
  3. to try to influence or curry favor with esp. by lavishing personal attention, gifts, or flattery
  4. to carry on a love affair with
  5. a short instrumental piece in ballad style

Ro·mance [rō-'man(t)s, rə-; 'rō-,] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being any of the languages developed from Latin (as Italian, French, and Spanish)

ro·manc·er [rō-'man(t)-sər, rə-; 'rō-,] -n

  1. a writer of romance
  2. one that romances

Roman collar -n

  1. clerical collar

Ro·man·esque [,rō-mə-'nesk] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to a style of architecture developed in Italy and western Europe between the Roman and the Gothic styles and characterized in its development after 1000 by the use of the round arch and vault, substitution of piers for columns, decorative use of arcades, and profuse ornament

ro·manfleuve [rō-,mäⁿ-'flœv, -'flə(r)v] -n

  1. a novel in the form of a long usu. easygoing chronicle of a social group (as a family or a community)

Roman holiday -n

  1. a time of debauchery or of sadistic enjoyment
  2. a destructive or tumultuous disturbance : riot

Ro·ma·nian [ru̇-'mā-nē-ən, rō-, -nyən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Romania
  2. the Romance language of the Romanians

Ro·man·ic [rō-'ma-nik] -adj, n

  1. romance

ro·man·ise ['rō-mə-,nīz] -vt, n

(variant of romanize)

  1. to make Roman in character
  2. to write or print (as a language) in the Latin alphabet
    • romanize Chinese
  3. to convert to Roman Catholicism
  4. to give a Roman Catholic character to

Ro·man·ism ['rō-mə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. roman catholicism

Ro·man·ist [-nist] -n, adj

  1. roman catholic
  2. a specialist in the language, culture, or law of ancient Rome

ro·man·ize ['rō-mə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. to make Roman in character
  2. to write or print (as a language) in the Latin alphabet
    • romanize Chinese
  3. to convert to Roman Catholicism
  4. to give a Roman Catholic character to

roman law -n

  1. the legal system of the ancient Romans that includes written and unwritten law, is based on the traditional law and the legislation of the city of Rome, and in form comprises legislation of the assemblies, resolves of the senate, enactments of the emperors, edicts of the praetors, writings of the jurisconsults, and the codes of the later emperors

Roman numeral -n

  1. a numeral in a system of notation that is based on the ancient Roman system

Ro·ma·no [rə-'mä-(,)nō, rō-] -n

  1. a hard sharp cheese of Italian origin that is often served grated

Ro·mans ['rō-mənz] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a letter on doctrine written by St. Paul to the Christians of Rome and included as a book in the New Testament

Ro·mansh [rō-'mänch, -'manch] -n

  1. the Rhaeto-Romance dialects spoken in the Grisons, Switzerland

ro·man·tic [rō-'man-tik, rə-] -adj, adv

  1. consisting of or resembling a romance
  2. having no basis in fact : imaginary
  3. impractical in conception or plan : visionary
  4. marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized
  5. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of romanticism
  6. of or relating to music of the 19th century characterized by an emphasis on subjective emotional qualities and freedom of form
  7. of or relating to a composer of this music
  8. having an inclination for romance : responsive to the appeal of what is idealized, heroic, or adventurous
  9. marked by expressions of love or affection
  10. conducive to or suitable for lovemaking
  11. of, relating to, or constituting the part of the hero esp. in a light comedy

romantic -n

  1. a romantic person, trait, or component
  2. a romantic writer, artist, or composer

ro·man·ti·cise [-'man-tə-,sīz] -vb, n

(variant of romanticize)

  1. to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic
    • romanticize the past
  2. to hold romantic ideas
  3. to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way

ro·man·ti·cism [rō-'man-tə-,si-zəm, rə-] -n

  1. a literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century, characterized chiefly by a reaction against neoclassicism and an emphasis on the imagination and emotions, and marked esp. in English literature by sensibility and the use of autobiographical material, an exaltation of the primitive and the common man, an appreciation of external nature, an interest in the remote, a predilection for melancholy, and the use in poetry of older verse forms
  2. an aspect of romanticism
  3. adherence to a romantic attitude or style
  4. the quality or state of being romantic

ro·man·ti·cize [-'man-tə-,sīz] -vb, n

  1. to make romantic : treat as idealized or heroic
    • romanticize the past
  2. to hold romantic ideas
  3. to present details, incidents, or people in a romantic way

Ro·ma·ny ['rä-mə-nē, 'rō-] -n, adj

  1. gypsy
  2. the Indo-Aryan language of the Gypsies

ro·maunt [rō-'mȯnt, -'mänt] -n

  1. romance

Rome Beauty ['rōm-] -n

  1. a round red apple that has firm slightly tart flesh and is used esp. for baking called also Rome

rom·el·dale ['rä-məl-,dāl] -n

  1. any of a U.S. breed of sheep yielding a heavy fleece of fine wool and producing a quickly maturing high-grade market lamb

Ro·meo ['rō-mē-,ō, in Shak also 'rōm-(,)yō] -n

  1. the hero of Shakespeare's Romeo and Julietwho dies for love of Juliet
  2. a male lover

Romeo

  1. a communications code word for the letter r

Rom·ish ['rō-mish] -adj, adv, n

  1. roman catholic

Rom·ney ['räm-nē, 'rəm-] -n

  1. any of a British breed of hardy long-wooled sheep esp. adapted to damp or marshy regions and raised for both mutton and wool called also Romney Marsh

romp ['rämp, 'rȯmp] -n

  1. one that romps
  2. a romping girl or woman
  3. high-spirited, carefree, and boisterous play
  4. : something suggestive of such play: as
  5. a light fast-paced narrative, dramatic, or musical work usu. in a comic mood
  6. an episode of lovemaking
  7. an easy winning pace
  8. runaway
  9. to run or play in a lively, carefree, or boisterous manner
  10. to move or proceed in a brisk, easy, or playful manner
  11. to win a contest easily

romp·er ['räm-pər, 'rȯm-] -n

  1. one that romps
  2. jumpsuit
  3. a jumpsuit for infants often used in pl.

Rom·u·lus ['räm-yə-ləs] -n

  1. a son of Mars and legendary founder of Rome

ron·deau ['rän-(,)dō, rän-'dō] -n

  1. a fixed form of verse based on two rhyme sounds and consisting usu. of 13 lines in three stanzas with the opening words of the first line of the first stanza used as an independent refrain after the second and third stanzas
  2. a poem in this form
  3. a monophonic trouvere song with a 2-part refrain

ron·del ['rän-dᵊl, rän-'del] -n

  1. a circular object
  2. a circular jewel or jeweled ring
  3. a fixed form of verse based on two rhyme sounds and consisting usu. of 14 lines in three stanzas in which the first two lines of the first stanza are repeated as the refrain of the second and third stanzas
  4. a poem in this form
  5. rondeau

ron·de·let [,rän-də-'let, -'lā] -n

  1. a modified rondeau consisting usu. of seven lines in which the first line of four syllables is repeated as the third line and as the final line or refrain and the remaining lines are made up of eight syllables each

ron·do ['rän-(,)dō, rän-'dō] -n

  1. an instrumental composition typically with a refrain recurring four times in the tonic and with three couplets in contrasting keys
  2. the musical form of a rondo used esp. for a movement in a concerto or sonata

ron·dure ['rän-jər, -(,)dyu̇r, -(,)du̇r] -n

  1. round
  2. gracefully rounded curvature

ron·yon ['rən-yən, 'rän-] -n

  1. a mangy or scabby creature

rood ['rüd] -n

  1. a cross or crucifix symbolizing the cross on which Jesus Christ died
  2. a large crucifix on a beam or screen at the entrance to the chancel of a church
  3. any of various units of land area
  4. a British unit equal to acre
  5. any of various units of length
  6. a British unit equal to seven or eight yards or sometimes a rod

roof ['rüf, 'ru̇f] -n, adj

  1. the cover of a building
  2. material used for a roof : roofing
  3. the roof of a dwelling conventionally designating the home itself
    • didn't have a roof over my head
    • they share the same roof
  4. the highest point : summit
  5. an upper limit : ceiling
  6. the vaulted upper boundary of the mouth
  7. a covering structure of any of various parts of the body
    • roof of the skull
  8. : something suggesting a roof: as
  9. a canopy of leaves and branches
  10. the top over the passenger section of a vehicle
  11. to cover with or as if with a roof
  12. to provide with a particular kind of roof or roofing often used in combination
    • slate- roofed houses
  13. to constitute a roof over

roof garden -n

  1. a restaurant or nightclub at the top of a building often in connection with or decorated to suggest an outdoor garden

roof·ie ['rü-fē] -n

  1. a tablet of a powerful benzodiazepine sedative and hypnotic drug C 16H 12FN 3O 3that is not licensed for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly

roof·ing ['rü-fiŋ, 'ru̇-] -n

  1. material for a roof

roof·line ['rüf-,līn, 'ru̇f-] -n

  1. the profile of a roof (as of a house)

roof·top [-,täp] -n

  1. roof
  2. the outer surface of a roof

roof·tree ['rüf-,trē, 'ru̇f-] -n

  1. ridgepole

rook ['ru̇k] -n

  1. a common Old World gregarious crow ( Corvus frugilegus) that nests and roosts in usu. treetop colonies
  2. to defraud by cheating or swindling
  3. either of two pieces of each color in a set of chessmen having the power to move along the ranks or files across any number of unoccupied squares called also castle
  4. rookie

rook·ery ['ru̇-kə-rē] -n

  1. the nests or breeding place of a colony of rooks
  2. a colony of rooks
  3. a breeding ground or haunt esp. of gregarious birds or mammals (as penguins or seals)
  4. a colony of such birds or mammals
  5. a crowded dilapidated tenement or group of dwellings

rook·ie ['ru̇-kē] -n

  1. recruit
  2. novice
  3. a first-year participant in a major professional sport

rooky ['ru̇-kē] -adj

  1. full of or containing rooks

room ['rüm, 'ru̇m] -n, adj

  1. an extent of space occupied by or sufficient or available for something
    • room to run and play
  2. an appropriate or designated position, post, or station
  3. place, stead
    • in whose room I am now assuming the pen -- Sir Walter Scott
  4. a partitioned part of the inside of a building
  5. such a part used as a lodging
  6. the people in a room
  7. a suitable or fit occasion or opportunity : chance
    • no room for doubt
  8. to occupy or share a room esp. as a lodger
  9. to accommodate with lodgings

room and board -n

  1. lodging and food usu. furnished for a set price or as part of wages

room·er ['rü-mər, 'ru̇-] -n

  1. one who occupies a rented room in another's house

room·ette [rü-'met, ru̇-] -n

  1. a small private single room on a railroad sleeping car

room·ful ['rüm-,fu̇l, 'ru̇m-] -n

  1. as much or as many as a room will hold
  2. the persons or objects in a room

room·ing house ['rü-miŋ-, 'ru̇-] -n

  1. a house where lodgings are provided for rent

roomingin ['rü-miŋ-'in, 'ru̇-] -n

  1. an arrangement in a hospital whereby a newborn infant is kept in a crib at the mother's bedside instead of in a nursery

room·mate ['rüm-,māt, 'ru̇m-] -n

  1. one of two or more persons sharing the same room or living quarters called also room*ie ru-me, r-

room service -n

  1. service provided to hotel guests in their rooms
  2. the hotel department responsible for such service
    • ordered a meal from room service

roomy ['rü-mē, 'ru̇-] -adj, n

  1. having ample room : spacious
  2. having a large or well-proportioned body suited for breeding

roor·back ['ru̇r-,bak] -n

  1. a defamatory falsehood published for political effect

roose ['rüz] -vt

  1. praise

roost ['rüst] -n

  1. a support on which birds rest
  2. a place where winged animals and esp. birds customarily roost
  3. a group of birds roosting together
  4. to settle down for rest or sleep : perch
  5. to settle oneself as if on a roost
  6. to supply a roost for or put to roost

roost·er ['rüs-tər also 'ru̇s-] -n

  1. an adult male domestic chicken : cock
  2. an adult male of various birds other than the domestic chicken
  3. a cocky or vain man

rooster tail -n

  1. a high arching spray (as of water, dust, or snow) thrown up behind a fast-moving motorboat, motor vehicle, or skier

root ['rüt, 'ru̇t] -n, adj

  1. the usu. underground part of a seed plant body that originates usu. from the hypocotyl, functions as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage or as a means of anchorage and support, and differs from a stem esp. in lacking nodes, buds, and leaves
  2. any subterranean plant part (as a true root or a bulb, tuber, rootstock, or other modified stem) esp. when fleshy and edible
  3. the part of a tooth within the socket
  4. any of the processes into which this part is often divided
  5. the enlarged basal part of a hair within the skin
  6. the proximal end of a nerve
  7. the part of an organ or physical structure by which it is attached to the body
    • the root of the tongue
  8. something that is an origin or source (as of a condition or quality)
    • the love of money is the root of all evil -- 1 Tim 6:10(AV)
  9. one or more progenitors of a group of descendants usu. used in pl.
  10. an underlying support : basis
  11. the essential core : heart often used in the phrase at root
  12. close relationship with an environment : tie usu. used in pl.
    • they put down root s in a farming community
  13. a quantity taken an indicated number of times as an equal factor
    • 2 is a fourth root of 16
  14. a number that reduces an equation to an identity when it is substituted for one variable
  15. the lower part : base
  16. the part by which an object is attached to something else
  17. the simple element inferred as the basis from which a word is derived by phonetic change or by extension (as composition or the addition of an affix or inflectional ending)
  18. the lowest tone of a chord (as C in a C minor chord) when the tones are arranged in ascending thirds
  19. to furnish with or enable to develop roots
  20. to fix or implant by or as if by roots
  21. to remove altogether by or as if by pulling out by the roots usu. used with out
    • root out dissenters
  22. to grow roots or take root
  23. to have an origin or base
  24. to turn up or dig in the earth with the snout : grub
  25. to poke or dig about
  26. to turn over, dig up, or discover and bring to light usu. used with out
    • root out the cause of the problem
  27. to noisily applaud or encourage a contestant or team : cheer
  28. to wish the success of or lend support to someone or something

root·age ['rü-tij, 'ru̇-] -n

  1. a developed system of roots
  2. root

root ball ['rüt-,bȯl also 'ru̇t-] -n

  1. the compact mass of roots and soil formed by a plant esp. in a container

root beer -n

  1. a sweetened carbonated beverage flavored with extracts of roots (as sarsaparilla) and herbs

rootbound ['rüt-,bau̇nd also 'ru̇t-] -adj

  1. pot-bound

root canal -n

  1. the part of the pulp cavity lying in the root of a tooth
  2. a dental operation to save a tooth by removing the contents of its root canal and filling the cavity with a protective substance

root cap -n

  1. a protective cap of parenchyma cells that covers the terminal meristem in most root tips

root cellar -n

  1. a pit used for the storage esp. of root crops

root crop -n

  1. a crop (as turnips) grown for its enlarged roots

root hair -n

  1. a filamentous extension of an epidermal cell near the tip of a rootlet that functions in absorption of water and minerals

root·hold ['rüt-,hōld, 'ru̇t-] -n

  1. the anchorage of a plant to soil through the growing and spreading of roots
  2. a place where plants may obtain a roothold

root knot -n

  1. a plant disease caused by nematodes that produce enlargements on the roots and stunt the growth of the plant

rootknot nematode -n

  1. any of several small plant-parasitic nematodes (genus Meloidogyne) that cause root knot

roo·tle ['rü-tᵊl] -vi

  1. root

root·let ['rüt-lət, 'ru̇t-] -n

  1. a small root

rootmeansquare -n

  1. the square root of the arithmetic mean of the squares of a set of numbers

root pressure -n

  1. the chiefly osmotic pressure by which water rises into the stems of plants from the roots

root rot -n

  1. any of various plant diseases characterized by decay of the roots and caused esp. by fungi

root·stock ['rüt-,stäk, 'ru̇t-] -n

  1. a rhizomatous underground part of a plant
  2. a stock for grafting consisting of a root or a piece of root
  3. stock

rooty ['rü-tē, 'ru̇-] -adj

  1. full or consisting of roots
    • rooty soil

rope ['rōp] -n, adj

  1. a large stout cord of strands of fibers or wire twisted or braided together
  2. a long slender strip of material used as rope
    • rawhide rope
  3. a hangman's noose
  4. lariat
  5. a row or string consisting of things united by or as if by braiding, twining, or threading
  6. special or basic techniques or procedures
    • show him the rope s
  7. line drive
  8. to bind, fasten, or tie with a rope or cord
  9. to partition, separate, or divide by a rope
    • rope off the street
  10. lasso
  11. to draw as if with a rope : lure
  12. to take the form of or twist in the manner of rope

rope·danc·er ['rōp-,dan(t)-sər] -n

  1. one that dances, walks, or performs acrobatic feats on a rope high in the air

rop·ery ['rō-p(ə-)rē] -n

  1. roguish tricks or banter

rope tow -n

  1. ski tow

rope·walk ['rōp-,wȯk] -n

  1. a long covered walk, building, or room where ropes are manufactured

rope·walk·er [-,wȯ-kər] -n

  1. an acrobat who walks on a rope high in the air

rope·way [-,wā] -n

  1. an endless aerial cable moved by a stationary engine and used to transport freight (as logs and ore)
  2. a fixed cable or a pair of fixed cables between supporting towers serving as a track for suspended passenger or freight carriers

ropy ['rō-pē] -adj, n

  1. capable of being drawn into a thread : viscous
  2. tending to adhere in stringy masses
  3. having a gelatinous or slimy quality from bacterial or fungal contamination
    • ropy milk
    • ropy flour
  4. resembling rope
  5. muscular, sinewy
  6. poor, lousy

roque ['rōk] -n

  1. croquet played on a hard-surfaced court with a raised border

Roque·fort ['rōk-fərt] -trademark

  1. used for a pungent French blue cheese made from sheep's milk

ro·que·laure [,rō-kə-'lȯr, ,rä-] -n

  1. a knee-length cloak worn esp. in the 18th and 19th centuries

ro·quette [rō-'ket] -n

  1. arugula

ror·qual ['rȯr-kwəl, -,kwȯl] -n

  1. any of a family (Balaenopteridae) of large baleen whales (as a blue whale or humpback whale) having the skin of the throat marked with deep longitudinal furrows

RoRo ['rō-,rō] -n

  1. a ship designed and equipped to allow vehicles (as automobiles or tanks) to be driven on or off

Ror·schach ['rȯr-,shäk] -adj

  1. of, relating to, used in connection with, or resulting from the Rorschach test

Rorschach test -n

  1. a personality and intelligence test in which a subject interprets inkblot designs in terms that reveal intellectual and emotional factors called also Rorschach Rorschach inkblot test

ro·sa·cea [rō-'zā-sh(ē-)ə] -n

  1. a chronic inflammatory disorder involving esp. the skin of the nose, forehead, and cheeks that is characterized by congestion, flushing, telangiectasia, and marked nodular swelling of tissues esp. of the nose called also acne rosacea

ro·sa·ceous [rō-'zā-shəs] -adj

  1. of or relating to roses or the rose family
    • a faint rosaceous aroma
    • rosaceous genera

ro·sar·i·an [rō-'zer-ē-ən] -n

  1. a cultivator of roses

ro·sa·ry ['rō-zə-rē, 'rōz-rē] -n

  1. a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usu. five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
  2. a string of beads used in counting prayers esp. of the Roman Catholic rosary

rosary pea -n

  1. a tropical twining herb ( Abrus precatorius) of the legume family that bears jequirity beans and has a root used as a substitute for licorice called also Indian licorice jequirity bean
  2. jequirity bean

ros·coe ['räs-(,)kō] -n

  1. handgun

rose ['rīz] -vi

(variant of rise)

  1. to assume an upright position esp. from lying, kneeling, or sitting
  2. to get up from sleep or from one's bed
  3. to return from death
  4. to take up arms
    • rise in rebellion
  5. to respond warmly : applaud usu. used with to
    • the audience rose to her verve and wit
  6. to end a session : adjourn
  7. to appear above the horizon
    • the sun rise s at six
  8. to move upward : ascend
  9. to increase in height, size, volume, or pitch
  10. to extend above other objects
    • mountain peaks rose to the west
  11. to become heartened or elated
    • his spirits rose
  12. to increase in fervor or intensity
    • my anger rose as I thought about the insult
  13. to attain a higher level or rank
    • officers who rose from the ranks
  14. to increase in quantity or number
  15. to take place : happen
  16. to come into being : originate
  17. to follow as a consequence : result
  18. to exert oneself to meet a challenge
    • rise to the occasion
  19. a spot higher than surrounding ground : hilltop
  20. an upward slope
    • a rise in the road
  21. : an act of rising or a state of being risen: as
  22. a movement upward : ascent
  23. emergence (as of the sun) above the horizon
  24. the upward movement of a fish to seize food or bait
  25. beginning, origin
    • the river had its rise in the mountain
  26. the distance or elevation of one point above another
  27. an increase esp. in amount, number, or volume
  28. raise
  29. an increase in price, value, rate, or sum
    • a rise in the cost of living
  30. an angry reaction
    • got a rise out of him
  31. the distance from the crotch to the waistline on pants

ro·se [rō-'zā] -n

  1. a light pink table wine made from red grapes by removing the skins after fermentation has begun

ro·se·ate ['rō-zē-ət, -zē-,āt] -adj, adv

  1. resembling a rose esp. in color
  2. overly optimistic : viewed favorably

roseate spoonbill -n

  1. a spoonbill ( Ajaia ajaja) that is found from the southern U.S. to Patagonia and has chiefly pink plumage

roseate tern -n

  1. a medium-sized tern ( Sterna dougallii) that is widespread at sea and in coastal areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans and that has a faint roseate tinge to the breast in the breeding season

rose·bay ['rōz-,bā] -n

  1. rhododendron
  2. great laurel
  3. fireweed

rosebay rhododendron -n

  1. great laurel

rosebreast·ed grosbeak ['rōz-,bres-təd-] -n

  1. a grosbeak ( Pheucticus ludovicianus) chiefly of eastern No. America that is related to the cardinal and in the male is chiefly black and white with a rose-red breast and in the female is grayish brown with a streaked breast

rose·bud ['rōz-,bəd] -n

  1. the bud of a rose

rose·bush [-,bu̇sh] -n

  1. a shrub that produces roses

rose chafer -n

  1. a common No. American scarab beetle ( Macrodactylus subspinosus) that feeds on plant roots as a larva and on leaves and flowers (as of rose or grapevines) as an adult called also rose bug

rosecol·ored ['rōz-,kə-lərd] -adj

  1. having a rose color
  2. seeing or seen in a promising light : optimistic

rosecolored glasses -n pl

  1. favorably disposed opinions : optimistic eyes
    • views the world through rose-colored glasses

rose cut -n, adj

  1. a form in which gems (as diamonds) are cut that usu. has a flat circular base and facets in two ranges rising to a point

rose fever -n

  1. hay fever occurring in the spring or early summer called also rose cold

rose·fish ['rōz-,fish] -n

  1. redfish

rose geranium -n

  1. any of several pelargoniums grown for their fragrant 3- to 5-lobed leaves and small pink flowers

rose hip -n

  1. the ripened usu. red or orange accessory fruit of a rose that consists of a fleshy receptacle enclosing numerous achenes

ro·se·ma·ling ['rō-zə-,mä-liŋ, -sə-] -n

  1. painted or sometimes carved decoration (as on furniture, walls, or wooden dinnerware) in Scandinavian peasant style that consists esp. of floral designs and inscriptions

rose mallow -n

  1. any of several hibiscuses with large usu. rose-colored flowers
  2. a showy perennial ( Hibiscus moscheutos) of the salt marshes of the eastern U.S.

rose·mary ['rōz-,mer-ē] -n

  1. a fragrant shrubby Mediterranean mint ( Rosmarinus officinalis) having grayish-green needlelike leaves used as a seasoning
  2. the leaves of rosemary

rose of Jer·i·cho [-'jer-i-,kō]

  1. an annual herb ( Anastatica hierochuntica) of the mustard family found from northern Africa to Iran that rolls up when dry and expands when moistened

rose of Shar·on [-'sher-ən]

  1. a commonly cultivated Asian shrub or small tree ( Hibiscus syriacus) having showy bell-shaped rose, purple, or white flowers

rose oil -n

  1. a fragrant essential oil obtained from roses and used chiefly in perfumery and in flavoring

ro·se·o·la [,rō-zē-'ō-lə, rō-'zē-ə-lə] -n, adj

  1. a rose-colored eruption in spots or a disease marked by such an eruption
  2. roseola infantum

roseola in·fan·tum [-in-'fan-təm] -n

  1. a mild virus disease of infants and children marked by fever lasting usu. three days followed by an eruption of rose-colored spots and caused by a herpesvirus (species Human herpesvirus 6of the genus Roseolovirus)

rose pink -n

  1. a moderate pink

rose slug -n

  1. the green larva of either of two sawflies ( Cladius difformisand Endelomyia aethiops) that feed on the parenchyma of and skeletonize the leaves of roses

ro·set ['rō-zət] -n

  1. resin

Ro·set·ta stone [rō-'ze-tə-] -n

  1. a black basalt stone found in 1799 that bears an inscription in hieroglyphics, demotic characters, and Greek and is celebrated for having given the first clue to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics
  2. one that gives a clue to understanding

ro·sette [rō-'zet] -n

  1. an ornament usu. made of material gathered or pleated so as to resemble a rose and worn as a badge of office, as evidence of having won a decoration (as the Medal of Honor), or as trimming
  2. a disk of foliage or a floral design usu. in relief used as a decorative motif
  3. a structure or color marking on an animal suggestive of a rosette
  4. one of the groups of spots on a leopard
  5. a cluster of leaves in crowded circles or spirals arising basally from a crown (as in the dandelion) or apically from an axis with greatly shortened internodes (as in many tropical palms)
  6. a food decoration or garnish in the shape of a rose
    • icing rosette s
    • carrot rosette s

rose·wa·ter ['rōz-,wȯ-tər, -,wä-] -adj

  1. affectedly nice or delicate
  2. having the odor of rose water

rose water -n

  1. a watery solution of the odoriferous constituents of the rose used as a perfume or a flavoring

rose window -n

  1. a circular window filled with tracery

rose·wood ['rōz-,wu̇d] -n

  1. any of various tropical trees (esp. genus Dalbergia) yielding valuable cabinet woods of a usu. dark red or purplish color streaked and variegated with black
  2. the wood

Rosh Ha·sha·nah [,räsh-(h)ə-'shä-nə, ,rōsh-, -'shō-] -n

  1. the Jewish New Year observed on the first day and by Orthodox and Conservative Jews also on the second day of Tishri

Ro·si·cru·cian [,rō-zə-'krü-shən, ,rä-] -n, adj

  1. an adherent of a 17th and 18th century movement professing esoteric and occult wisdom with emphasis on mysticism and spiritual enlightenment
  2. a member of one of several organizations held to be descended from the Rosicrucians

ros·i·ly ['rō-zə-lē] -adv

  1. in an optimistic manner
  2. with a rosy color or tinge

ros·in ['rä-zᵊn, 'rȯ-, dial 'rȯ-zəm] -n

  1. a translucent amber-colored to almost black brittle friable resin that is obtained from the oleoresin or deadwood of pine trees or from tall oil and used esp. in making varnish

rosin ['räz-niŋ, 'rȯz-; 'rä-zᵊn-iŋ, 'rȯ-] -vt

  1. to rub or treat (as the bow of a violin) with rosin

ros·in·weed ['rä-zᵊn-,wēd, 'rȯ-] -n

  1. any of several American plants (as the compass plant) having resinous foliage or a resinous odor

ros·tel·lum [rä-'ste-ləm] -n, adj

  1. : a small process resembling a beak : a diminutive rostrum: as
  2. an extension of the stigma of an orchid flower
  3. an anterior prolongation of the head of a tapeworm bearing hooks

ros·ter ['räs-tər also 'rȯs- or 'rōs-] -n

  1. a roll or list of personnel
  2. such a list giving the order in which a duty is to be performed
    • a duty roster
  3. the persons listed on a roster
  4. an itemized list

ros·tral ['räs-trəl also 'rȯs-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a rostrum
  2. : situated toward the oral or nasal region: as
  3. superior
  4. anterior, ventral

ros·trate ['räs-,trāt, -trət also 'rȯs-] -adj

  1. having a rostrum

ros·trum ['räs-trəm also 'rȯs-] -n

  1. an ancient Roman platform for public orators
  2. a stage for public speaking
  3. a raised platform on a stage
  4. the curved end of a ship's prow
  5. the beak of a war galley
  6. : a bodily part or process suggesting a bird's bill: as
  7. the beak, snout, or proboscis of any of various insects or arachnids
  8. the often spinelike anterior median prolongation of the carapace of a crustacean (as a crayfish or lobster)

rosy ['rō-zē] -adj, n

  1. of the color rose
  2. having a pinkish usu. healthy-looking complexion : blooming
  3. marked by blushes
  4. characterized by or tending to promote optimism
    • a rosy outlook

rosy periwinkle -n

  1. a commonly cultivated subshrub ( Catharanthus roseussyn. Vinca rosea) of the dogbane family that is native to the Old World tropics and is the source of several antineoplastic drugs called also Madagascar periwinkle periwinkle

rot ['rät] -vb

  1. to undergo decomposition from the action of bacteria or fungi
  2. to become unsound or weak (as from use or chemical action)
  3. to go to ruin : deteriorate
  4. to become morally corrupt : degenerate
  5. to cause to decompose or deteriorate with or as if with rot
  6. the process of rotting : the state of being rotten : decay
  7. something rotten or rotting
  8. a wasting putrescent disease
  9. any of several parasitic diseases esp. of sheep marked by necrosis and wasting
  10. plant disease marked by breakdown of tissues and caused esp. by fungi or bacteria
  11. nonsense often used interjectionally

ro·ta ['rō-tə] -n

  1. a tribunal of the papal curia exercising jurisdiction esp. in matrimonial cases appealed from diocesan courts
  2. a fixed order of rotation (as of persons or duties)
  3. a roll or list of persons : roster

ro·ta·me·ter ['rō-tə-,mē-tər, rō-'ta-mə-tər] -n

  1. a gauge that consists of a graduated glass tube containing a free float for measuring the flow of a fluid

Ro·tar·i·an [rō-'ter-ē-ən] -n

  1. a member of a major national and international service club

ro·ta·ry ['rō-tə-rē] -adj

  1. turning on an axis like a wheel
  2. taking place about an axis
    • rotary motion
  3. having an important part that turns on an axis
    • rotary cutter
  4. characterized by rotation
  5. of, relating to, or being a press in which paper is printed by rotation in contact with a curved printing surface attached to a cylinder

rotary -n

  1. a rotary machine
  2. a road junction formed around a central circle about which traffic moves in one direction only called also circle traffic circle

rotary cultivator -n

  1. rototiller

rotary engine -n

  1. any of various engines (as a turbine) in which power is applied to vanes or similar parts constrained to move in a circular path
  2. a radial engine in which the cylinders revolve about a stationary crankshaft

rotarywing aircraft -n

  1. rotorcraft
  2. helicopter usu. used in pl.

ro·tate ['rō-,tāt] -adj

  1. having the parts flat and spreading or radiating like the spokes of a wheel
    • rotate blue flowers
  2. to perform an act, function, or operation in turn
  3. to pass or alternate in a series
  4. to turn about an axis or a center : revolve
  5. to move in such a way that all particles follow circles with a common angular velocity about a common axis
  6. to cause to turn or move about an axis or a center
  7. to cause (a plane region or line) to sweep out a volume or surface by moving around an axis so that each of its points remains at a constant distance from the axis
    • generate a torus by rotating a circle about an external line
  8. to cause to grow in rotation
    • rotate crops
  9. to cause to pass or act in a series : alternate
  10. to exchange (individuals or units) with others

ro·ta·tion [rō-'tā-shən] -n, adj

  1. the action or process of rotating on or as if on an axis or center
  2. the act or an instance of rotating something
  3. one complete turn : the angular displacement required to return a rotating body or figure to its original orientation
  4. return or succession in a series
    • rotation of the seasons
  5. crop rotation
  6. the turning of a body part about its long axis as if on a pivot
  7. a game of pool in which all 15 object balls are shot in numerical order
  8. the series of pitchers on a baseball team who regularly start successive games in turn

ro·ta·tive ['rō-,tā-tiv also rō-'] -adj, adv

  1. turning like a wheel : rotary
  2. relating to, occurring in, or characterized by rotation

ro·ta·tor ['rō-,tā-tər also rō-'] -n

  1. one that rotates or causes rotation
  2. a muscle that partially rotates a part on its axis

rotator cuff -n

  1. a supporting and strengthening structure of the shoulder joint that is made up of the capsule of the shoulder joint blended with tendons and muscles as they pass to the capsule or across it to insert on the head of the humerus

ro·ta·to·ry ['rō-tə-,tȯr-ē, Brit -t(ə-)ri also rō-'tā-tə-ri] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or producing rotation
  2. occurring in rotation

ro·ta·vi·rus ['rō-tə-,vī-rəs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Rotavirus) of reoviruses that have a three-layered protein capsid with no outer lipid envelope when mature and that include one (species Rotavirus A) causing epidemics of severe and sometimes fatal diarrhea in infants and young children

ROTC -abbr

  1. Reserve Officers' Training Corps

rote ['rōt] -n

  1. crowd
  2. the use of memory usu. with little intelligence
    • learn by rote
  3. mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition
    • a joyless sense of order, rote, and commercial hustle -- L. L. King
  4. learned or memorized by rote
  5. mechanical
  6. the noise of surf on the shore

ro·te·none ['rō-tə-,nōn] -n

  1. a crystalline insecticide C 23H 22O 6obtained from the roots of several tropical plants (as a derris) that is highly toxic to fish but is of low toxicity to warm-blooded animals and is used esp. in home gardens

rot·gut ['rät-,gət] -n

  1. cheap or inferior liquor

ro·ti ['rō-tē] -n

  1. a round soft flat unleavened bread
  2. such a bread wrapped around a filling and eaten as a sandwich

ro·ti·fer ['rō-tə-fər] -n

  1. any of a class (Rotifera of the phylum Aschelminthes) of minute usu. microscopic but many-celled chiefly freshwater aquatic invertebrates having the anterior end modified into a retractile disk bearing circles of strong cilia that often give the appearance of rapidly revolving wheels

ro·tis·ser·ie [rō-'tis-rē, -'ti-sə-] -n

  1. a restaurant specializing in broiled and barbecued meats
  2. an appliance fitted with a spit on which food is rotated before or over a source of heat

rotisserie -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a sports league consisting of imaginary teams whose performance is based on the statistics of actual players
    • a rotisserie baseball league

ro·to ['rō-(,)tō] -n

  1. rotogravure

ro·to·gra·vure [,rō-tə-grə-'vyu̇r] -n

  1. photogravure
  2. a section of a newspaper devoted to rotogravure pictures

ro·tor ['rō-tər] -n

  1. a part that revolves in a stationary part
    • a brake rotor
  2. the rotating member of an electrical machine
  3. an assembly of rotating blades that supplies lift or stability for a rotorcraft

ro·tor·craft [-,kraft] -n

  1. an aircraft (as a helicopter) whose lift is derived principally from rotating airfoils

ro·to·till ['rō-tə-,til] -vt

  1. to till or plow (soil) with a rototiller

ro·to·till·er [-,ti-lər] -n

  1. a landscaping implement with engine-powered rotating blades used to lift and turn over soil

rot·ten ['rä-tᵊn] -adj, adv, n

  1. having rotted : putrid
  2. morally corrupt
  3. extremely unpleasant or inferior
    • a rotten day
    • a rotten job
  4. very uncomfortable
    • feeling rotten
  5. of very poor quality : lousy, abominable
    • a rotten show
    • what rotten luck

rotten -adv

  1. to an extreme degree
    • spoiled rotten

rotten borough -n

  1. an election district that has many fewer inhabitants than other election districts with the same voting power

rot·ten·stone ['rä-tᵊn-,stōn] -n

  1. a decomposed siliceous limestone used for polishing

rot·ter ['rä-tər] -n

  1. a thoroughly objectionable person

rott·wei·ler ['rät-,wī-lər, 'rȯt-,vī-] -n

  1. any of a breed of tall powerful black-and-tan short-haired dogs of German origin that are commonly used as guard dogs

ro·tund [rō-'tənd, 'rō-,] -adj, n, adv

  1. marked by roundness : rounded
  2. marked by fullness of sound or cadence : orotund, sonorous
    • a master of rotund diction
  3. notably plump : chubby

ro·tun·da [rō-'tən-də] -n

  1. a round building
  2. one covered by a dome
  3. a large round room
  4. a large central area (as in a hotel)

ro·tu·ri·er [rō-'tu̇r-ē-,ā, -'tyu̇r-] -n

  1. a person not of noble birth

roue [rü-'ā] -n

  1. a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure : rake

rouge ['rüzh, esp Southern 'rüj] -n

  1. any of various cosmetics for coloring the cheeks or lips red
  2. a red powder consisting essentially of ferric oxide used in polishing glass, metal, or gems and as a pigment
  3. to apply rouge to
  4. to cause to redden
  5. to use rouge

rough ['rəf] -adj, n

  1. marked by inequalities, ridges, or projections on the surface : coarse
  2. covered with or made up of coarse and often shaggy hair
    • rough -coated collie
  3. having a broken, uneven, or bumpy surface
    • rough terrain
  4. difficult to travel through or penetrate : wild
    • into the rough woods -- P. B. Shelley
  5. turbulent, tempestuous
    • rough seas
  6. characterized by harshness, violence, or force
  7. presenting a challenge : difficult
    • rough to deal with -- R. M. McAlmon
  8. : coarse or rugged in character or appearance: as
  9. harsh to the ear
  10. crude in style or expression
  11. indelicate
  12. marked by a lack of refinement or grace : uncouth
  13. crude, unfinished
    • rough carpentry
  14. executed or ventured hastily, tentatively, or imperfectly
    • a rough draft
    • rough estimate
  15. approximate
    • a rough idea
  16. roughly
  17. without usual conveniences
  18. without proper shelter
    • become homeless and have to sleep rough -- London Times
  19. uneven ground covered with high grass, brush, and stones
  20. such ground bordering a golf fairway
  21. the rugged or disagreeable side or aspect
    • hiking-camping admirers of nature in the rough -- Eleanor Stirling
  22. something in a crude, unfinished, or preliminary state
  23. broad outline : general terms
    • the question...has been discussed in rough -- Manchester Guardian Weekly
  24. a hasty preliminary drawing or layout
  25. rowdy
  26. roughen
  27. to subject to abuse : manhandle, beat usu. used with up
  28. to subject to unnecessary and intentional violence in a sport
    • a penalty for rough ing the passer
  29. shell used with up
    • was rough ed up for six runs
  30. to calk or otherwise roughen (a horse's shoes) to prevent slipping
  31. to shape, make, or dress in a rough or preliminary way
  32. to indicate the chief lines of
    • rough out the structure of a building

rough·age ['rə-fij] -n

  1. fiber
  2. food containing much indigestible material acting as fiber

roughandready [,rə-fən-'re-dē] -adj

  1. crude in nature, method, or manner but effective in action or use
    • a roughandready solution

roughandtum·ble [-'təm-bəl] -n

  1. rough disorderly unrestrained fighting or struggling
  2. infighting

roughandtumble -adj

  1. marked by rough-and-tumble
    • grew up in a roughandtumble atmosphere -- E. J. Kahn
  2. rough-and-ready
  3. put together haphazardly : makeshift
    • a roughandtumble fence

rough bluegrass -n

  1. a forage grass ( Poa trivialis) of Eurasia and northern Africa that is naturalized in No. America

rough breathing -n

  1. a mark used in Greek over some initial vowels to show that they are aspirated or over to show that it is voiceless
  2. the sound indicated by a mark over a Greek vowel or

rough·cast ['rəf-,kast, for 2 also -'kast] -vt

  1. to plaster (as a wall) with roughcast
  2. to shape or form roughly
  3. a rough model
  4. a plaster of lime mixed with shells or pebbles used for covering buildings
  5. a rough surface finish (as of a plaster wall)

rough cut -n

  1. a print of an incompletely edited motion picture

roughdry ['rəf-'drī] -vt

  1. to dry (laundry) without smoothing or ironing
  2. being dry after laundering but not ironed or smoothed over
    • roughdry clothes

roughedged ['rəf-'ejd] -adj

  1. lacking refinement or polish
    • a roughedged writing style

rough·en ['rə-fən] -vb

  1. to make rough or rougher
    • her hands were roughen ed by work -- Ellen Glasgow
  2. to become rough

rough endoplasmic reticulum -n

  1. endoplasmic reticulum studded with ribosomes

rough fish -n

  1. a usu. freshwater fish (as a buffalo or freshwater drum) considered undesirable as a food or sport fish and often viewed as a competitor of more desirable fishes

roughhew ['rəf-'hyü] -vt

  1. to hew (as timber) coarsely without smoothing or finishing
  2. to form crudely

roughhewn [-'hyün] -adj

  1. being in a rough, unsmoothed, or unfinished state : crudely formed
    • roughhewn beams
  2. lacking refinement
    • he was rather attractive, in a roughhewn kind of way -- Jan Speas

rough·house ['rəf-,hau̇s] -n

  1. violence or rough boisterous play
  2. to treat in a boisterously rough manner
  3. to engage in roughhouse

rough·leg ['rəf-,leg, -,lāg] -n

  1. rough-legged hawk

roughlegged hawk -n

  1. a large circumpolar arctic hawk ( Buteo lagopus) that winters southward and typically has a white tail with a wide black band or bands at the tip

rough lemon -n

  1. a hybrid lemon that forms a large spreading thorny tree, bears rough-skinned fruit, and is important chiefly as a rootstock for other citrus trees
  2. the fruit of a rough lemon

rough·ly ['rə-flē] -adv

  1. : in a rough manner: as
  2. with harshness or violence
    • treated the prisoner roughly
  3. in crude fashion : imperfectly
    • roughly dressed lumber
  4. without completeness or exactness : approximately
    • roughly 20 percent

rough·neck ['rəf-,nek] -n

  1. a rough or uncouth person
  2. rowdy, tough
  3. a worker of an oil-well-drilling crew other than the driller

roughneck -adj

  1. having the characteristics of or suitable for a roughneck

rough·ri·der ['rəf-'rī-dər] -n

  1. one who is accustomed to riding unbroken or little-trained horses
  2. a member of the first U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiment in the Spanish-American War commanded by Theodore Roosevelt

rough·shod [-,shäd] -adj

  1. shod with calked shoes
  2. marked by tyrannical force
    • roughshod rule

roughshod -adv

  1. in a roughly forceful manner
    • rode roughshod over the opposition

rough trade -n

  1. male homosexuals who are or affect to be rugged and potentially violent
  2. such a homosexual

rouille ['rü-ē] -n

  1. a peppery garlic sauce

rou·lade [rü-'läd] -n

  1. a florid vocal embellishment sung to one syllable
  2. a slice of usu. stuffed meat that is rolled, browned, and steamed or braised

rou·leau [rü-'lō] -n

  1. a little roll
  2. a roll of coins put up in paper

rou·lette [rü-'let] -n

  1. a gambling game in which players bet on which compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest in
  2. something involving a high degree of chance and unpredictability
  3. any of various toothed wheels or disks (as for producing rows of dots on engraved plates or for making short consecutive incisions in paper to facilitate subsequent division)
  4. tiny slits between rows of stamps in a sheet that are made by a roulette and serve as an aid in separation

roulette -vt

  1. to make roulettes in

round [rau̇nd] -adj, n

  1. having every part of the surface or circumference equidistant from the center
  2. cylindrical
    • a round peg
  3. approximately round
    • a round face
  4. well filled out : plump, shapely
  5. complete, full
    • a round dozen
    • a round ton
  6. approximately correct
  7. exact only to a specific decimal or place
    • use the round number 1400 for the exact figure 1411
  8. substantial in amount : ample
    • a good round price -- T. B. Costain
  9. direct in utterance : outspoken
    • a round denunciation
  10. moving in or forming a circle
  11. brought to completion or perfection : finished
  12. presented with lifelike fullness or vividness
  13. delivered with a swing of the arm
    • a round blow
  14. having full or unimpeded resonance or tone : sonorous
  15. pronounced with rounded lips : labialized
  16. of or relating to handwriting predominantly curved rather than angular
  17. around
  18. something (as a circle, globe, or ring) that is round
  19. a knot of people
  20. a circle of things
  21. round dance
  22. a musical canon in which each part begins on the same note and is continuously repeated
  23. a rung of a ladder or a chair
  24. a rounded molding
  25. a circling or circuitous path or course
  26. motion in a circle or a curving path
  27. a route or circuit habitually covered (as by a security guard or police officer)
  28. a series of similar or customary calls or stops
    • making the round s of his friends -- Current Biog.
  29. a series of regularly scheduled professional calls on hospital patients made by a doctor or nurse usu. used in pl.
  30. a drink of liquor apiece served at one time to each person in a group
    • I'll buy the next round
  31. a sequence of recurring routine or repetitive actions or events
    • went about my round of chores
    • the newest round of talks
  32. a period of time that recurs in a fixed pattern
    • the daily round
  33. one shot fired by a weapon or by each man in a military unit
  34. a unit of ammunition consisting of the parts necessary to fire one shot
  35. a unit of action in a contest or game which comprises a stated period, covers a prescribed distance, includes a specified number of plays, or gives each player one turn
  36. a division of a tournament in which each contestant plays an opponent
  37. a prolonged burst (as of applause)
  38. a cut of meat (as beef) esp. between the rump and the lower leg
  39. a slice of food
    • a round of bread
  40. a rounded or curved part
  41. to make round
  42. to make (the lips) round and protruded (as in the pronunciation of u)
  43. to pronounce with lip rounding : labialize
  44. go around
  45. to pass part of the way around
  46. encircle, encompass
  47. to bring to completion or perfection often used with off or out
  48. to express as a round number often used with off
    • 11.3572 round ed off to two decimal places becomes 11.36
  49. to become round, plump, or shapely
  50. to reach fullness or completion
  51. to follow a winding course : bend
  52. around
  53. all during : throughout
    • round the year
  54. whisper
  55. to speak to in a whisper

round·about ['rau̇n-də-,bau̇t] -adj, n

  1. circuitous, indirect
    • had to take a roundabout route

roundabout -n

  1. a circuitous route : detour
  2. merry-go-round
  3. a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys esp. in the 19th century
  4. rotary

round angle -n

  1. an angle of 360 or 2 radians

round·ball ['rau̇nd-,bȯl] -n

  1. basketball

round clam -n

  1. quahog

round dance -n

  1. a folk dance in which participants form a ring and move in a prescribed direction
  2. a ballroom dance in which couples progress around the room
  3. a series of movements performed by a bee to indicate that a source of food is nearby

round·ed ['rau̇n-dəd] -adj, n

  1. made round : flowing rather than jagged or angular
  2. fully developed

roun·del ['rau̇n-dᵊl] -n

  1. a round figure or object (as a circular panel, window, or niche)
  2. rondel
  3. an English modified rondeau

roun·de·lay ['rau̇n-də-,lā] -n

  1. a simple song with a refrain
  2. a poem with a refrain recurring frequently or at fixed intervals as in a rondel

round·er ['rau̇n-dər] -n

  1. a game of English origin that is played with ball and bat and that somewhat resembles baseball
  2. a dissolute person : wastrel
  3. one that rounds by hand or by machine
  4. a boxing match lasting a specified number of rounds usu. used in combination
    • a 10- rounder

Round·head ['rau̇nd-,hed] -n

  1. a member of the parliamentary party in England at the time of Charles I and Oliver Cromwell
  2. puritan

round·head·ed [-'he-dəd] -adj

  1. having a round head

round·house ['rau̇nd-,hau̇s] -n, adj

  1. lockup
  2. a circular building for housing and repairing locomotives
  3. a blow delivered with a wide swing

round·ish ['rau̇n-dish] -adj

  1. somewhat round

round lot -n

  1. the standard unit of trading in a security market usu. amounting to 100 shares of stock

round·ly ['rau̇n(d)-lē] -adv

  1. in a complete or thorough manner : thoroughly
    • roundly disliked
    • roundly satisfying
  2. by nearly everyone : widely
    • roundly praised
  3. in a plainspoken manner : bluntly
    • told them roundly they would get no help
  4. with vigor or asperity
    • roundly attacked the plan

roundrob·in ['rau̇nd-,rä-bən] -n

  1. a written petition, memorial, or protest to which the signatures are affixed in a circle so as not to indicate who signed first
  2. a statement signed by several persons
  3. something (as a letter) sent in turn to the members of a group each of whom signs and forwards it sometimes after adding comment
  4. round table
  5. a tournament in which every contestant meets every other contestant in turn
  6. series, round

roundshoul·dered ['rau̇n(d)-,shōl-dərd] -adj

  1. having the shoulders stooping or rounded

rounds·man ['rau̇n(d)z-mən] -n

  1. one that makes rounds
  2. a supervisory police officer of the grade of sergeant or just below

round steak -n

  1. a steak cut from the round of beef

round ta·ble ['rau̇n(d)-,tā-bəl] -n

  1. the large circular table of King Arthur and his knights
  2. the knights of King Arthur
  3. a conference for discussion or deliberation by several participants
  4. the participants in such a conference

roundtheclock -adj

  1. around-the-clock

roundtrip ['rau̇n(d)-,trip] -n

  1. a trip to a place and back usu. over the same route

round·up ['rau̇nd-,əp] -n

  1. the act or process of collecting animals (as cattle) by riding around them and driving them in
  2. the cowboys and ranch personnel engaged in a cattle roundup
  3. a gathering in of scattered persons or things
    • a roundup of all suspects
  4. a summary of information
    • a roundup of the news

round up -vt

  1. to collect (as cattle) by means of a roundup
  2. to gather in or bring together from various quarters

round window -n

  1. a round opening between the middle ear and the cochlea

round·wood ['rau̇nd-,wu̇d] -n

  1. timber used (as for poles) without being squared by sawing or hewing

round·worm ['rau̇nd-,wərm] -n

  1. nematode
  2. a related round-bodied unsegmented worm (as a spiny-headed worm) as distinguished from a flatworm

roup ['rüp, 'rau̇p] -n

  1. any of various respiratory disorders of poultry

rouse ['rau̇z] -vb, n

  1. to cause to break from cover
  2. to stir up : excite
    • was roused to fury
  3. to arouse from or as if from sleep or repose : awaken
  4. to become aroused : awaken
  5. to become stirred
  6. an act or instance of rousing
  7. an excited stir
  8. drink, toast
  9. carousal

rouse·about ['rau̇-zə-,bau̇t] -n

  1. an unskilled worker

rousing -adj, adv

  1. giving rise to excitement : stirring
    • a rousing speech
  2. brisk, lively
  3. exceptional, superlative
    • a rousing success

Rous sarcoma ['rau̇s-] -n

  1. a sarcoma of chickens caused by a retrovirus (species Rous sarcoma virusof the genus Alpharetrovirus)

Rous·seau·ism [ru̇-'sō-,i-zəm] -n, adj

  1. the philosophical, educational, and political doctrines of Jean Jacques Rousseau
  2. the return to or glorification of a simpler and more primitive way of life

roust ['rau̇st] -vt

  1. to drive (as from bed) roughly or unceremoniously

roust·about ['rau̇s-tə-,bau̇t] -n

  1. deckhand
  2. longshoreman
  3. an unskilled or semiskilled laborer esp. in an oil field or refinery
  4. a circus worker who erects and dismantles tents, cares for the grounds, and handles animals and equipment
  5. a person with no permanent home or regular occupation
  6. one who stirs up trouble

roust·er ['rau̇s-tər] -n

  1. deckhand
  2. longshoreman

rout ['rau̇t] -n

  1. a crowd of people : throng
  2. rabble
  3. disturbance
  4. fuss
  5. a fashionable gathering
  6. to low loudly : bellow used of cattle
  7. to poke around with the snout : root
    • pigs rout ing in the earth
  8. to search haphazardly
  9. to dig up with the snout
  10. to gouge out or make a furrow in (as wood or metal)
  11. to force out as if by digging usu. used with out
  12. to cause to emerge esp. from bed
  13. to come up with : uncover
    • scouts...rout ing out new talent -- Carrie Donovan
  14. a state of wild confusion or disorderly retreat
  15. a disastrous defeat : debacle
  16. a precipitate flight
  17. to disorganize completely : demoralize
  18. to put to precipitate flight
  19. to defeat decisively or disastrously
    • the discomfiture of seeing their party rout ed at the polls -- A. N. Holcombe
  20. to drive out : dispel

route ['rüt, 'rau̇t] -n

  1. a traveled way : highway
    • the main route north
  2. a means of access : channel
    • the route to social mobility -- T. F. O'Dea
  3. a line of travel : course
  4. an established or selected course of travel or action
  5. an assigned territory to be systematically covered
    • a newspaper route
  6. to send by a selected route : direct
    • was routed along the scenic shore road
  7. to divert in a specified direction

route·man ['rüt-mən, 'rau̇t-,man] -n

  1. a person who is responsible for making sales or deliveries on an assigned route

rout·er ['rau̇-tər] -n

  1. : one that routs: as
  2. a routing plane
  3. a machine with a revolving vertical spindle and cutter for milling out the surface of wood or metal
  4. one that routes
  5. a device that mediates the transmission routes of data packets over an electronic communications network (as the Internet)
  6. a horse trained for distance races

route step -n

  1. a style of marching in which troops maintain prescribed intervals but are not required to keep in step or to maintain silence called also route march

route·way ['rüt-,wā, 'rau̇t-] -n

  1. route

routh ['rau̇th, 'rüth] -n

  1. plenty

rou·tine [rü-'tēn] -n

  1. a regular course of procedure
    • if resort to legal action becomes a campus routine -- J. A. Perkins
  2. habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure
    • the routine of factory work
  3. a reiterated speech or formula
    • the old After you routine -- Ray Russell
  4. a worked-out part (as of an entertainment or sports contest) that may be often repeated
    • a dance routine
    • a gymnastic routine
  5. a theatrical number
  6. a sequence of computer instructions for performing a particular task
  7. of a commonplace or repetitious character : ordinary
    • routine problems
  8. of, relating to, or being in accordance with established procedure
    • routine business

rou·tin·ize [rü-'tē-,nīz, 'rü-tə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. to discipline in or reduce to a routine

roux ['rü] -n

  1. a cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent in a soup or a sauce

rove ['rōv] -vb

  1. to move aimlessly : roam
  2. to wander through or over
  3. an act or instance of wandering

rove ['rēv] -n

(variant of reeve)

  1. a local administrative agent of an Anglo-Saxon king
  2. a medieval English manor officer responsible chiefly for overseeing the discharge of feudal obligations
  3. the council president in some Canadian municipalities
  4. a local official charged with enforcement of specific regulations
    • deer reeve
  5. to pass (as a rope) through a hole or opening
  6. to fasten by passing through a hole or around something
  7. to pass a rope through
  8. to pass through a block or similar device
  9. the female of the ruff (sandpiper)

rove beetle -n

  1. any of a family (Staphylinidae) of often predatory active beetles having a long body and very short wing covers beneath which the wings are folded transversely called also staphylinid

ro·ver ['rō-vər] -n

  1. pirate

rov·er ['rō-vər] -n

  1. a random or long-distance mark in archery usu. used in pl.
  2. wanderer, roamer
  3. a player who is not assigned to a specific position on a team and who plays wherever needed
  4. a vehicle for exploring the surface of an extraterrestrial body (as the moon or Mars)

roving -adj

  1. not restricted as to location or area of concern
  2. capable of being shifted from place to place : mobile
  3. inclined to ramble or stray
    • a roving fancy
  4. a slightly twisted roll or strand of usu. textile fibers

row ['rō] -vb, n

  1. to propel a boat by means of oars
  2. to move by or as if by the propulsion of oars
  3. to propel with or as if with oars
  4. to participate in (a rowing match)
  5. to compete against in rowing
  6. to pull (an oar) in a crew
  7. to transport in an oar-propelled boat
  8. an act or instance of rowing
  9. a number of objects arranged in a usu. straight line
    • a row of bottles
  10. the line along which such objects are arranged
    • planted the corn in parallel row s
  11. way, street
  12. a street or area dominated by a specific kind of enterprise or occupancy
    • doctors' row
  13. twelve-tone row
  14. a continuous strip usu. running horizontally or parallel to a baseline
  15. a horizontal arrangement of items
  16. to form into rows
  17. a noisy disturbance or quarrel
  18. to engage in a row : have a quarrel

row·an ['rau̇-ən, 'rō-ən] -n

  1. : either of two mountain ashes with flat corymbs of white flowers followed by small red pomes:
  2. one ( Sorbus aucuparia) native to Eurasia that has become naturalized in the U.S. and Canada
  3. one ( S. americana) native to the eastern U.S and Canada
  4. the fruit of a rowan

row·an·ber·ry [-,ber-ē] -n

  1. rowan

row·boat ['rō-,bōt] -n

  1. a small boat designed to be rowed

row·dy ['rau̇-dē] -adj, adv, n

  1. coarse or boisterous in behavior : rough
  2. characterized by such behavior
    • rowdy local bars

rowdy -n

  1. a rowdy person : tough

row·dy·ism ['rau̇-dē-,i-zəm] -n

  1. rowdy character or behavior

row·el ['rau̇(-ə)l] -n

  1. a revolving disk with sharp marginal points at the end of a spur

rowel -vt

  1. to goad with or as if with a rowel
  2. vex, trouble

row·en ['rau̇-ən] -n

  1. aftermath

row house ['rō-] -n

  1. one of a series of houses connected by common sidewalls and forming a continuous group

row·ing ['rō-iŋ] -n

  1. the propelling of a boat by means of oars : the action of one that rows
  2. the sport of racing in shells

rowing boat -n

  1. rowboat

rowing machine -n

  1. an exercise machine that simulates the action of rowing

row·lock ['rä-lək, 'rə-; 'rō-,läk] -n

  1. oarlock

roy·al ['rȯi(-ə)l] -adj, adv

  1. of kingly ancestry
    • the royal family
  2. of, relating to, or subject to the crown
    • the royal estates
  3. being in the crown's service
    • Royal Air Force
  4. suitable for royalty : magnificent
  5. requiring no exertion : easy
    • there is no royal road to logic -- Justus Buchler
  6. of superior size, magnitude, or quality
    • a patronage of royal dimensions -- J. H. Plumb
    often used as an intensive
    • a royal pain
  7. established or chartered by the crown
  8. of, relating to, or being a part (as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant

royal -n

  1. a person of royal blood
  2. a small sail on the royal mast immediately above the topgallant sail
  3. a stag of 8 years or more having antlers with at least 12 points

royal antler -n

  1. the third tine above the base of a stag's antler

royal blue -n

  1. a vivid purplish blue

royal flush -n

  1. a straight flush having an ace as the highest card

roy·al·ism ['rȯi-ə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. monarchism

roy·al·ist [-list] -n, adj

  1. : an adherent of a king or of monarchical government: as
  2. cavalier
  3. tory
  4. a reactionary business tycoon

royal jelly -n

  1. a highly nutritious secretion of the pharyngeal glands of the honeybee that is fed to the very young larvae in a colony and to all queen larvae

royal palm -n

  1. any of a genus ( Roystonea) of palms chiefly of the Caribbean region
  2. a tall graceful pinnate-leaved palm ( R. regia) native to Cuba that is widely planted for ornament

royal poinciana -n

  1. a showy Madagascan tree ( Delonix regiasyn. Poinciana regia) widely planted for its immense racemes of scarlet and orange flowers called also flamboyant peacock flower

royal purple -n

  1. a dark reddish purple

roy·al·ty ['rȯi(-ə)l-tē] -n

  1. royal status or power : sovereignty
  2. a right or perquisite of a sovereign (as a percentage paid to the crown of gold or silver taken from mines)
  3. regal character or bearing : nobility
  4. persons of royal lineage
  5. a person of royal rank
    • how to address royalties -- George Santayana
  6. an elite class
  7. a right of jurisdiction granted to an individual or corporation by a sovereign
  8. a share of the product or profit reserved by the grantor esp. of an oil or mining lease
  9. a payment to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each item sold under a patent

roz·zer ['rä-zər] -n

  1. police officer