rattlesnake-grass 
ing-grass. It is a useful forage-grass in wet 
places. Sometimes called tall quaking-grass. 
rattlesnake-herb (rat'l- 
snak-erb), . The banc- 
berry or cohosh. See Ac- 
txa. 
rattlesnake-master 
(rat'l-suak-max"ter), n. 
One of several Ameri- 
can plants at some time 
reputed to cure the bite 
of the rattlesnake, (a) 
The false aloe, Agave Virgin 
nica, said to be so called in 
South Carolina. A tincture of 
this plant is sometimes used 
for flatulent colic. (6) Accord- 
ing to 1'ursh, Liatris scariosa 
and L. squarrosa, in Virginia, 
Kentucky, and the Carolinas. 
(c) A species of eringo, Eryn- 
gium ifiiccxfolium, also called, 
like 
Liatris, button- snakeroot ; 
but the plants are quite unlike. 
See the generic names. 
rattlesnake-plantain 
(rat'l-snak-plan'tan), . 
Any one of the three 
American species of 
(roodyera. 
rattlesnake-root (rat'l- 
snak-rb't), . A plant, Prenanthes serpentaria, 
also P. alba and P. altissima. the first at least 
Rattlesnake-master (Eryngi* 
um yuccstfolium}, 
i, upper part of the stem 
with the heads; a, a leaf; a, 
Rattlesnake-root (PrenanthfS alba). 
j, the inflorescence ; 2, lower part of stem with root ; a , a head, after 
anthesis; b, the acheniura with the pappus. 
having some repute in North Carolina, etc., as 
a remedy for snake-bites. See Prenanthes and 
cancer-weed. 
rattlesnake-weed (rat'1-snak-wed), . Ahawk- 
weed, Hieracium venosum, of the eastern half 
of the United States. It has a slender stem a foot 
or two high, forking above into a loose corymb of a few 
yellow heads. The leaves, which are marked with purple 
veins, are situated mostly at the base. These and the root 
are thought to possess an astringent virtue. 
rattletrap (rat'1-trap), n. A shaky, rattling ob- 
ject ; especially, a rattling, rickety vehicle j in 
the plural, objects clattering or rattling against 
each other. [Colloq.] 
Hang me if I'd ha' been at the trouble of conveying her 
and her rattle-traps last year across the channel. 
Mrs. Gore, Castles In the Air, xxxiv. 
"He'd destroy himself, and me too, if I attempted to 
ride him at such & rattletrap w that." A. rattletrap! The 
quintain that she had put up with so much anxious care. 
Trottope, Barchester Towers, viii. 
rattleweed (rat'1-wed), . A plant of the ge- 
nus Astragalus, in numerous species. It in- 
cludes various loco-weeds, and is presumably 
extended to Oxytropis in the Kooky Mountain 
region. 
rattlewing (rat'1-wing), . The golden-eyed 
duck, or whistlewing, Clangula glaucion. Also 
called whistler. [Eng.] 
rattlewort (rat'1-wert), n. [Not found in 
ME.; < AS. hrsetelwyrt, rattlewort. < "nrietele, 
a rattle, + wyrt, wort: see rattle 1 , wort*."] A 
plant of the genus Crotalaria. Compare rattle- 
luu: 2 (6). 
rattling 1 (rat'ling), n. [Verbal n. of rattle*, .] 
1. The act of making a rattle, clatter, or con- 
tinuous jarring noise. 
The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the 
wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping 
chariots. Nahum iii. 2. 
2. The act of berating or railing at or other- 
wise assailing or attacking: as, to give one a 
rattling. 
4975 
rattling 1 (rat'ling), p. a. [Ppr. of rattle*, .] 
1. Making or adapted for making a rattle; 
hence, smart; sharp; lively in action, move- 
ment, or manners : as, arM/iH<jf rider; Brattling 
pace ; a rattling game ; a rattling girl. 
He ance tell'd me ... that the Psalms of David were 
excellent poetry ! as if the holy Psalmist thought o' rat- 
tling rhymes in ablether, like his ain silly clinkum-clankum 
things that he ca's verse. Scott, Kob Roy, xxi. 
2. Bewilderingly large or conspicuous: as, rat- 
tling stakes or bets. [Colloq. or slang.] 
rattling 2 (rat'ling), n. A corruption of ratline. 
ratton, n. See ratten. 
rattonert, See rattener. 
rattoon 1 , n. See ratoon. 
rattoon' 2 }, Same as ratan. 
rat-trap (rat'trap), n. A trap for catching rats; 
also, something resembling or suggesting such 
a trap Rat-trap pedal See pedal. 
rauchwacke(rak'wak; G.pron.rouch'va // ke),. 
[G., < rauch, smoke (= E. reek), + wacke, a sort 
of stone consisting of quartz, sand, and mica : 
see wacke. Cf. graywaeke.'] Dolomite or dolo- 
mitie limestone, containing many small irregu- 
lar cavities, frequently lined with crystals of 
brown-spar: a characteristic mode of occur- 
rence of the Zechstein division of the Permian 
in various parts of Germany. 
raucid (ra'sid), a. [< li.*raucidus, LL. dim. 
raucidulns, hoarse, < raucus, hoarse: see rau- 
cous.'] Same as raucous. 
Methinks I hear the old boatman [Charon] paddling by 
the weedy wharf, with rancid voice, bawling "sculls." 
Lamb, To the Shade of Elliston. 
raucity (ra'si-ti), n. [< F. raucite, hoarseness, 
< L. raucita(t-)s, hoarseness, also snoring, < 
raucus, hoarse : see raucous.] Eoughness or 
harshness of utterance ; hoarseness. 
The purling of a wreathed string, and the raucity of a 
trumpet. Boom, Nat. Hist., 700. 
raucle (ra'kl), a. [A var. of rackel, rackle, rash, 
fearless, also stout, firm, strong: see Tackle, 
rakel.~\ Coarse; harsh; strong; firm; bold. 
[Scotch.] 
Auld Scotland has a raucle tongue. 
Burns, Prayer to the Scotch Representatives. 
raucous (ra'kus), a. [= F. rauque = Pr. rauc, 
rauch = Cat. rone = Sp. ronco, rauco = Pg. rouco 
= It. rauco,<. L. raucus, hoarse ; cf . Skt. / ru, 
cry out.] Hoarse; harsh; croaking iu sound: 
as, a raucous voice or cry. 
raucously (ra'kus-li), adv. In a raucous man- 
ner; with a croaking sound ; hoarsely. 
Taught 1 !. An obsolete preterit and past parti- 
ciple of reach*. 
raught' 2 t. An obsolete preterit and past parti- 
ciple of reck. 
raun (ran), n. A dialectal form of ro2. 
rauncet, See ranee 3 . 
raunceount, v. t. A Middle English form of 
ransom. 
raunch (ranch), v. t. Same as ranch*. 
raunsont, raunsount, n. and v. Middle English 
forms of ransom. 
rauracienne (ro-ras-ien'), . In dyeing, same 
as orseillin. 
Rausan (F. pron. ro-zon'), n. [F.: see def.] 
A wine of Bordeaux, of the commune of Mar- 
gaux : its best variety is the wine of Chateau 
Rausan, often exported under the name of Rau- 
san-Mnrgaux. 
Rauwolfia (rau-wol'fi-a), n. [NL. (Plumier, 
1703), named after Leonhard Sauwolf, a Ger- 
man botanist and traveler of the sixteenth 
century.] A genus of gamopetalous plants of 
the order Apocynacese, the dogbane family, tribe 
Plumerieee, and type of the subtribe Bauwolfiese. 
It is characterized by a salver-shaped corolla with in- 
cluded stamens, an annular or cup-shaped disk, and an 
ovary with two carpels, each with two ovules, in fruit 
becoming drupaceous and united, often beyond the mid- 
dle. There are about 42 species, natives of the tropics in 
America, Asia, and Africa, also in South Africa. They are 
trees or shrubs, commonly with smooth whorled leaves 
which are three or four in a circle, and finely and closely 
feather-veined. The small flowers and fruit are in cymose 
clusters which become lateral and commonly resemble 
umbels. Most species are actively poisonous ; some, as 
J{. nitida, are In repute as cathartics and emetics. Sev- 
eral medicinal species, with remarkably twisted roots and 
stems, were formerly separated as a genus Ophioxylan (Lln- 
nseus, 1767X on account of their producing both sterile 
flowers with two stamens and fertile flowers with five : 
as R. eerpenlina, the East Indian serpentwood, a climber 
with handsome leaves, the root of which is used in India 
and China as a febrifuge. R. Sandwicensin, the hao of 
the Hawaiians, a small milky tree with white scarred 
branches, is unlike all other species in its leafy sepals. 
ravage (rav'aj), . [< F. ravage, ravage, havoc, 
spoil^ < ravir, bear away suddenly : see ravish.'] 
rave 
Desolation or destruction wrought by the vio- 
lent action of men or beasts, or by physical or 
moral causes; devastation; havoc; waste; ruin: 
as, the ravage of a lion ; the ravages of fire or 
tempest ; the ravages of an invading army ; the 
ravages of passion or grief. 
Would one think 'twere possible for love 
To make such ravage in a noble soul? Additon. 
And many another suppliant crying came 
With noise of ravage wrought by beast and man. 
Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette. 
= Syn. Pillage, plunder, spoliation, despoilment. These 
words all apply not to the treatment of people directly, but 
to the destruction or appropriation of property. 
ravage (rav'aj ), v. t. ; pret. and pp. ravaged, ppr. 
ravaging. [< F. ravager, ravage ; from the 
noun.] To desolate violently ; lay waste, as by 
force, storm, etc. ; commit havoc on ; devas- 
tate; pillage; despoil. 
Cjesar 
Has ravaged more than half the globe, and sees 
Mankind grown thin by his destructive sword. 
Addison, Cato i. 1. 
While oft in whirls the mad tornado flies, 
Mingling the ravaged landscape with the skies. 
Goldsmith, Des. ViL, L 368. 
=Syn. To plunder, waste. See the noun, 
ravager (rav'aj-er), n. [< F. ravageur, < rav- 
ager, ravage : see ravage.'] One who ravages ; 
a plunderer; a spoiler; one who or that which 
lays waste. 
Ravaton's operation. See operation. 
rave 1 (rav), v. ; pret. and pp. raved, ppr. raving. 
[< ME. raven, rave, talk like a madman (cf. 
MD. freq. ravelen, D. revelen, dote, etc.), < OF. 
raver, resver, rave, dote, speak idly, F. rfver, 
dream (cf. OF. ravasser, rave, talk idly, reve, 
madness), = Sp. rabiar, rave, = Pg. raivar, 
rage (ef. It. ar-rabbiare, rage, go mad), < LL. 
*rabiare, rave, rage,< L. rabies, ML. rabia, rage, 
< L. rabere, rave, rage: see rage, n., andcf. rage, 
v., practically a doublet of rave*. Cf. also 
reverie. ] I. intrans. 1. To talk like a madman; 
speak with delirious or passionate extrava- 
gance; declaim madly or irrationally; rage in 
speech. 
Peter was angry and rebuked Christ, and thought ear- 
nestly that he had raued, and not wist what he sayde. 
Tyndale, Works, p. 25. 
Have I not cause to rave and beat my breast? 
Addison, Cato, iv. 3. 
Three days he lay and raved 
And cried for death. 
WOliam Morris, Earthly Paradise, I. 336. 
2. To talk about something with exaggerated 
earnestness, and usually with little judgment 
or coherence; declaim ithusiastieally, im- 
moderately, or ignorantly. 
He must fight singly to-morrow with Hector ; and is so 
prophetically proud of an heroical cudgelling that he raves 
in saying nothing. Shalt., T. and C., iii. 3. 249. 
Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, 
They rave, recite, and madden round the land. 
Pope, Prol. to Satires, 1. 6. 
3. To produce a brawling or turbulent sound ; 
move or act boisterously: used of the action 
of the elements. 
His bowre is in the bottom of the maine, 
Under a mightle rocke, gainst which doe raw 
The roringbillowes in their proud disdaine. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. vlil. 37. 
On one side of the church extends a wide woody dell, 
along which raves a large brook among broken rocks and 
trunks of fallen trees. Irving, Sketch-Book, p. 444. 
II. trans. To utter in frenzy ; say in a wild 
and excited manner. 
Pride, like the Delphic priestess, with a swell 
/.'"<*(/ nonsense, destin'd to be future sense. 
Young, Night Thoughts, vii. 596. 
rave' 2 t (rav). An obsolete preterit of rive. 
rave 3 t (rav), v. t. [< ME. raven; a secondary 
form of riven, after the pret. rave : see rive*.'] 
To rive. 
And he worowede bun, and slowhe him ; ande thanne he 
ranne to the false emperes, ande ravide hir evine to the 
bone, but more harme dide he not to no mane. 
Gesta Romanorwn, p. 202. (Hattiwett.) 
rave 4 (rav), v. t. [A dial, form of reave.] 1. 
Same as reave, 3. 
Thairtoir I hald the subject vaine, 
Wold rave us of our right. 
Battle of Balrinnes (Child's Ballads, VII. 220). 
2. To tear up; pull or tear the thatch or cover- 
ing from (a house): same &B reave, 4. Salliwell. 
[Prov. Eng.] To rave up, to pull up; gather toge- 
ther. [Prov. Eng.] 
rave 4 (rav), . [< rave*, v.~] A tearing; a hole 
or opening made by tearing out or away : as, a 
rave in an old building. Hattiwett, [Prov. Eng.] 
rave 5 (rav), . [Origin obscure.] One of the 
side pieces of the body of a wagon or other ve- 
hicle. 
