Ricinus 
cous, becoming arborescent in warm regions, ami bearing 
large alternate leaves palmately lobeil and peltate. The 
conspicuous terminal inflorescence is composed of some- 
what punicled racemes, the upper part of each formed of 
crowded staminate flowers, the lower part of pistillate 
flowers, each sliort-pedicelled. The plant is very variable 
in its capsules, which are either smooth or prickly, and in 
the seeds, which are often mottled with gray and brown 
markings, and appendaged with a large whitish caruncle. 
The castor-nil plant is uot only of medicinal value, as the 
source of a mild and speedy cathartic, but is one of the 
most imposing of ornamental plants, and thrives as an 
annual in temperate climates. It has several garden va- 
rieties. Also called cantor-bean and palma Christi. See 
castor-oil; also arittode and caruncle. 
Ricinus'-' 
5169 
nate mass: us, the man is u nV/,7c of bones. 
[Scotch.] 
The proud Percy caused hang five of the Laird's hench- 
men at Alnwick fur burning a ricMe of houses some gate 
beyond Fowberry. ScoU, Monastery, xiii. 
rick-rack (rik'rak), u. [A varied redupl. of 
<*!.] A kind of openwork trimming made 
by hand, with needle and thread, out of a nar- 
row zigzag braid. 
The young hostess sat placidly making rick-rack on the 
. porch at the side of the house. 
The Christian Union, Aug. 11, 1887. 
"/"Ta^Vr in" i-nm ]ir u 'i>rp porn-'ripk' ber or iron, or sometimes wholly or partly of ma- 
i&^&KSiStS.'S^jg^^-fSBS^SaSi 
ricks of hay or corn. [Rare in U. S.] 
ricochet (rik-o-sha' or -shet'), [< OF. rico- 
chet; cf. F. ricoclier, ricochet, make ducks and 
ISSEtwasar ' SSsaifiasSJfcisys 
Sylvester, tr. of l)u B;\rtas's Weeks, ii., The Magnificence, which it is passing, as in the case ot a stone 
When the wild peasant rights himself, Ihe rick thrown along the surface of water Ricochet 
Flames, and his anger reddens in the heavens. battery. See battery. Ricochet fire, ricochet firing. 
Tennyson, Princess, iv. 
=Syn. Shock, etc. See sheaf. 
rick 1 (rik), v. t. [< rick 1 , .] To pile up in ricks. 
rick" (rik), r. See wrick-. 
ricker (rik'6r), n. [< r/efci, v., + -er 1 .] An im- 
plement, drawn by a horse or mule, for cocking 
up or shocking hay. It has long teeth, and operates 
like an earth-scraper while collecting the hay ; and inclin- 
ing the handle upward causes the ricker to turn over and 
discharge its load where a shock is to be formed. Also 
called shocker. More properly called hay-ricker. 
rickers (rik'erz), n. pi. [Perhaps so called as 
riddance 
Specifically (a) To part from ; dispose of ; spend. 
Hee [any handicraft manj will haue a thousand florishes. 
which before hee neuer thought vpon, and in one day rid 
more out of hand than erst he did in ten. 
Nashe, Pierce Penilesse, p. 28. 
(V) To get through or over ; accomplish ; achieve ; despatch. 
As they are woont to say, not to stand all day trifling to 
no purpose, but to rid it out of the way quickly. 
Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 195. 
We, having now the best at liarnet field, 
Will thither straight, for willingness rids way. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., v. 8. 21. 
The Printer in one day shall rid 
More Books then yerst a thousand Writers did. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Columnes. 
(c) To put out of the way ; destroy ; kill. 
I rid her not: I made her not away, 
By heaven I swear ! traitors 
They are to Edward and to England's Queen 
That say I made away the Mayoress. 
Peele, Edward I. 
But if you ever chance to have a child, 
Look in his youth to have him so cut or! 
A, deathsmen, you have rid this sweet young prince ! 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., v. 5. 67. 
Such mercy in thy heart was found, 
To rid a lingering wretch. 
beau, and Fl., Maid's Tragedy, ii. 1. 
5+. To part; put asunder; separate. 
We ar in this valay, verayly oure one, 
Here are no renkes vs to rydde, rele as vus like*. 
Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2246. 
To rid house to remove all the furniture from a house. 
HaUiweU. [Prov. Eng.] 
' Free; clear; quit; 
bound by touching the earth or the surface of . . 
water and glancing off, as a cannon-ball. rid 1 (rid), p. a. [< rid 1 , v.) 
The round-shot, which seemed to pitch into the centre relieved : followed by Of. 
of a squadron of the Carabineers, ricochetted through the 
fields? W. H. Russell, Diary iu India, II. 4. 
The pioneer sunbeam . . . flashed into Richard Wade's 
eyes, waked him, and was off, ricochetting across the black 
ice of the river. T. Winthrop, Love and Skates. 
^erinmakingabaseorpropsforricks; < rfcfci, ncolite^ko. ; Ht), n. JX Ww.inNewMw ico. 
n., + -er 1 .] The stems or trunks of young trees 
cut up into lengths for stowing flax, hemp, and 
the like, or for spars for boat-masts and -yards, 
boat-hook staves, etc. [Eng.] 
+ Gr. /U0of, stone.] A stratified ornamental 
stone, made up of successive layers of white 
limestone and olive and snuff -green serpentine, 
found in New Mexico. 
Surely he was a wicked man ; the realm was well rid 0} 
him. ' Latimer, 4th Sermon bef. Edw. VI., 1549. 
I would we were well rid of this knavery. 
Shak., T. N., iv. 2. 73. 
The townesmen remaining presently fraughted our 
Barge to be rid of our companies. 
Quoted in Capt. John Smith's Works, I. 219. 
Thence I rode all-shamed, hating the life 
He gave me, meaning to be rid of it. 
Tennyson, Geralut. 
To get rid Of. See get. 
Like ricket-bodies. upwards over-grown, 
Which is no wholsome constitution. 
Wilson, James I. (1653). (Nares.) 
open the mouth wide, gape, grin (> It. ringhi- 
are, grin, frown): see ringent.~\ A gaping. 
Bailey. 
Favorite grounds where the trout make their rids. 
Report, of the Maine Fisheries Commission, 1875, p. 12. 
rida (re'da), n. That part of the ihram, or Mos- 
ricketily (rik'et-i-li), adv. In a rickety man- rictus (rik'tus), n.\ pi. rictus. [< L. rictus, a i em pilgrim's 'dress, which is thrown over the 
ner; feebly; shakily; unsteadily. gaping, distention of the jaws of animals, < left shoulder and knotted at 1 
At least this one among all her institutions she has suc- 
ceeded in setting, however ricketily, on its legs again. 
R. Broughton, Second Thoughts, iii. 4. 
ricketiness (rik'et-i-nes), n. The state or char- 
acter of being rickety ; hence, in general, shaki- 
ness; unsteadiness. 
ricketish (rik'et-ish), a. [< ricJcet(s) + -to* 1 .] 
Having a tendency to rickets; rickety. [Rare.] 
Surely there is some other cure for a ricketish body than 
to kill it. Fuller, Worthies, xi. 
ricketlyt (rik'et-li), a. [< ricket(s) + -fy 1 .] 
Rickety; shaky; weak. 
No wonder if the whole constitution of Religion grow 
weak, ricketly, and consumptuous. 
Bp. Gauden, Tears of the Church, p. 262. (Dames.) 
rickets (rik'ets), n. [Prop. *wrickets, < wrick, 
twist, + -et-s: The NL. term rachitis is of Gr. 
formation, but was suggested by the E. word: 
see rachitis.'] A disease, technically called 
rachitis. See rachitis, I. 
The new disease. There is a disease of infants, and an 
infant-disease, having scarcely as yet got a proper name 
in Latin, called the rickets; wherein the head waxeth too 
great, whilst the legs and lower parts wain too little. 
Fuller, Meditation on the Times (1647), xx. 163, quoted in 
[Notes and Queries, 6th ser., II. 219. 
rickety (rik'et-i), a. [< rictet(s) + -y 1 .] 1. 
Affected with rickets. 
But in a young Animal, when the Solids are too Lax (the 
Case of rickety Children), the Diet ought to be gently As- 
tringent. Arbuthnot, Aliments, II. vii. 5. 
2. Feeble in the joints ; tottering ; infirm; hence, 
in general, shaky ; liable to fall or collapse, as a 
table, chair, bridge, etc. ; figuratively, ill-sus- 
tained; weak. 
Crude and rickety notions, enfeebled by restraint, when 
permitted to be drawn out and examined, may ... at 
length acquire health and proportion. 
Warburton, Works, I. 145. 
rickle (rik'l), n. [< rick 1 + dim. -le (-el).] 1. 
A heap or pile, as of stones or peats, loosely 
thrown together; specifically, a small rick of 
hay or grain. [Scotch or prov. Eng.] 
May Boreas never thrash your rigs, 
Nor kick your ricklen arf their legs. 
Burns, Third Epistle to J. Lapraik. 
2. A quantity of anything loosely and care- 
lessly put together: a loose or iniliscrimi- 
gapmg, 
ringi, pp. rictus, gape: see rmgeiit.] 
(')., the gape of the bill; the cleft between the 
upper and the lower mandible when the mouth 
is open. 2. In bot., the throat, as of a calyx, 
corolla, etc.; the opening between the lips of a 
ringent or personate flower. [Rare.] 
rid 1 (rid), r. t. ; pret. and pp. rid, formerly also 
ridded, ppr. ridding. [Also dial, (and orig.) red; 
< ME. ridden, rydden, redden (pret. redde, pp. 
red), < AS. hreddnn, take away, save, liberate, 
deliver, = OFries. liredda, reda = D. MLG. LG. 
redden = OHG. rettan, retten, MHG. G. retten 
= Norw. rxdda = Sw. radda = Dan. redde, save, 
rescue, forms not found in Icel. or Goth, (the 
Scand. forms are modern, < LG. or E. ) ; perhaps 
= Skt.Vfratli, loosen.] It. To take away; re- 
move, as from a position of trouble or danger; 
deliver. 
Why thow has redyne and raymede, and raunsound the 
And kylly'de doune his cosyns, kyngys ennoynttyde. 
MorteArthure(E. E. T. S.), 1. 100. 
Take you your keen bright sword, 
And rid me out of my life. 
The Weft-Country Damosel's Complaint (Child's Ballads, 
[II. 384). 
We thought it safer to rid ourselves out of their hands 
and the trouble we were brought into, and therefore we 
patiently layd down the mony. 
Evelyn, Diary, March 23, 1646. 
2. To separate or free from anything superflu- 
ous or objectionable ; disencumber; clear. 
Thi fader in fuerse with his fre will 
Rid me this Rewme out of ronke Enmys. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 5348. 
I must 
Kid all the sea of pirates. 
Shak., A. and C., ii. 0. SO. 
That is a light Burthen which rids one of a far harder. 
StiUingfleet, Sermons, III. iii. 
3f. To send or drive away ; expel ; banish. 
I will rid evil beasts out of the land. Lev. xxvi. 6. 
And, once before deceiv'd, she newly cast about 
To rid him out of sight. Drayton, Polyolbion, ii. 295. 
4|. To clear away; disencumber or clear one's 
self of; get rid of. 
But if I my cage can rid, 
I'll fly where I never did. 
Wither, The Shepherd's Hunting. 
the right side. 
1. In or- ridable, rideable (ri'da-bl), a. [< ride + -able.] 
1. Capable of being ridden, as a saddle-horse. 
I rode everything rideable. 
M. W. Savage, Reuben Medlicott, ii. 3. (Dames.) 
2. Passable on horseback; capable of being 
ridden through or over: as, a ridable stream 
or bridge. 
For at this very time there was a man that used to trade 
to Hartlepool weekly, and who had many years known 
when the water was rideable, and yet he ventured in as I 
did, and he and his horse were both drowned at the very 
time when I lay sick. Lister, Autobiog., p. 45. (Hallimll.) 
riddance (rid'ans), . [< n'rf 1 + -ance.~\ 1. 
The act of ridding or getting rid, as of some- 
thing superfluous, objectionable, or injurious ; 
the state of being thus relieved ; deliverance ; 
specifically, the act of clearing or cleaning out. 
Some [things] which ought not to be desired, as the de- 
liverance from sudden death, riddance from all adversity, 
and the extent of saving mercy towards all men. 
Hooker, Eccles. Polity, v. 27. 
Thou shall not make clean riddance of the corners of 
thy field when thou reapest, neither shall thou gather any 
gleaning of thy harvest ; thou shall leave them unto the 
poor. 
Lev. xxiii. 22. 
They have agreat care to keep them [the Streets] clean ; 
in Winter, for Example, upon the melting of the Ice, by a 
heavy drag with a Horse, which makes a quick riddance 
and cleaning the Gutters. Lister, Journey to Paris, p. 24. 
2. The act of putting out of the way ; specifi- 
cally, destruction. 
The whole land shall be devoured by the flic of his jeal- 
ousy ; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them 
that dwell in the land. Zeph. I. 18. 
Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums, 
That lie bestrown, unsightly and unsmooth, 
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease. 
Milton, P. L., Iv. 632. 
3. The earth thrown out by an animal, as a fox, 
badger, or woodchuck, in burrowing into the 
ground. A good riddance, a welcome relief from un 
pleasant company or an embarrassing connection or com- 
plication ; hence, something of which one is glad to be quit. 
Thtr. I will see yon hanged, like clotpoles, ere I come 
any more to your tents. . . . [Exit.] 
Pair. A good riddance. Shak., T. and C., ii. 1. 132. 
What o good riddance for Ainslie ! Xow the weight is 
taken off, it is just possible he may get a fresh start, and 
make a race of it after all. 
Whyte MeMllt, White Rose, I. xxvii. 
