OBSCURE WORDS R

abiator
n. - a violent man

raceme
n. - kind of inflorescence with flowers borne on footstalks up a
central stem, as in lily of valley. racemiferous, adj. bearing
racemes. racemiform, adj. like raceme. racemose, racemous, a..

rach(e)
n. - dog hunting by scent.

rachis
n. - (pl. -ides ) spine; central axis. rachialgia, n. pain in spine.
rachidian, adj. rachiform, adj. like rachis. rachiometer, n.
instrument measuring spinal curvature.

rachitis
n. - inflammation of spine; rickets. rachitic, adj. pertaining to or
having rachitis. rachitogenic, adj. causing rachitis.

radectomy
n. - removal of part of tooth root.

radiodontia
n. - making and study of X-ray photographs of teeth. radiodontic, adj.
radiodontist, n.

radiogenic
adj. - produced by radioactive decay; suitable for radio broadcasting.

radiogoniometer
n. - radio direction-finding apparatus. rodiogoniometry, n.

radio-heliograph
n. - arrangement of radio-telescopes for receiving and recording the
radio waves emitted by the sun.

radiolucent
adj. - penetrable by X-rays.

radiomicrometer
n. - n. instrument measuring intensity of radioactivity.

radionuclide
n. - a radioactive nuclide.

radiopaque
adj. - not allowing passage of X-rays. radiopacity, n.

radiopraxis
n. - medical use of radioactivity.

radioscope
n. - instrument detecting radioactivity. radioscopy, n. examination of
opaque bodies by X-rays.

radiosonde
n. - radio transmitter, borne into and from upper atmosphere by
balloon and parachute, sending out information on atmospheric
conditions.

radome
n. - protective housing for radar antenna.

radula
n. - (pl. -lae ) rasp- like toothed band of tissue in mollusc's mouth.
radular, adj. radulate, adj. having radula. raduliform, adj.
rasp-like.

raisonné
adj. - systematically arranged; ordered.

rale
n. - sound symptomatic of disease heard in auscultation.

ramage
n. - boughs of tree. ramal, rameal, adj. pertaining to branch.

ramellose
adj. - having small branches.

ramex
n. - hernia.

ramiferous
adj. - bearing branches. ramiform, adj. branch-alike.

ramify
v. -i. branch out; make complex. ramification, n.

ramoneur
n. - chimney-sweep.

ramulus
n. - (pl. -li ) small branch. ramular, adj. ramuliferous, adj. bearing
ramuli. ramulose, ramulous, adj. having many ramuli.

ramus
n. - (pl. -mi ) branch, especially of nerve; barb of feather; mandible.

rana
n. - prince.

ranarium
n. - (pl. -ia) place for rearing frogs.

randan
n. - boat for three oarsmen, viz. one sculler with two oars in middle
and an oarsman with one oar fore and aft; such style of rowing.
randem, adv. with three horses in single file.

rangiferine
adj. - pertaining to or like reindeer; belonging to animal genus
containing reindeer.

ranine
adj. - pertaining to or like frogs; belonging to subfamily of
amphibians including frogs. raniform, adj. frog-like.

rantallion
n. - one whose scrotum is longer than his penis

rantipole
n. - a wild, rambunctious young man

ranula
n. - (pl. -lae ) small cyst on tongue. ranular, adj.

ranunculaceous
adj. - pertaining to or like buttercups; belonging to buttercup family
of plants. ranunculus, n. (pl. - li ) buttercup, especially
cultivated.

rapacious
adj. - greedy; obtaining by extortion; predacious; ravenous. rapacity, n.

rapine
n. - pillaging.

rapparee
n. - irregular soldier; vagabond.

rappee
n. - kind of strong snuff.

rapport
n. - relationship, especially harmonious. en rapport, (French) 'in rapport'.

rapprochement
n. - resumption of or improvement in relations between countries or persons.

raptorial, raptatorial, raptatory
adj. - predatory; pertaining to birds of prey.

raptus
n. - trance; rapture; seizure.

rasorial
adj. - scratching ground for food; pertaining to domestic fowls.

ratafia
n. - almond-flavoured liqueur or biscuit.

ratihabition
n. - ratification.

ratite
adj. - having flat breastbone; n. such flightless bird, as ostrich, emu, etc.

ratline
n. - small rope forming rung of rope ladder.

ratten
v. - compel to obey trade union by damaging or depriving of machinery,
tools, etc.

rattoon
n. - small shoot growing from the root of a plant

rauwolfia
n. - tropical tree or shrub used as source of various drugs,
especially reserpine.

ravelin
n. - projecting out-work in fortification, having two embankments
forming salient angle; 'half-moon'.

ravissant
adj. - (fem. -e ) ravishing; causing rapture.

Réaumur
adj. - pertaining to temperature scale or thermometer having freezing
point of water at 0° and boiling point at 80°.

rebarbative
adj. - grim, unattractive, forbidding, repellent

rebec(k)
n. - ancient three-stringed violin.

reboantic
adj. - reverberating

recalesce
v. -i. liberate heat suddenly when cooling through certain
temperature. recalescent, adj. recalescence, n.

recension
n. - scholarly editorial revision

receptary
adj. - accepted as fact but unproved

réchauffé
adj.,n. - warmed-up (dish); rehash.

recherché
adj. - refined; carefully done; curious; far-fetched; extravagant.

recidivism
n. - state of returning habitually to crime. recidivist, n.
recidivate, recidive, v.i. relapse; recur. recidivous, adj.

recitative
n. - speechlike declamatory song in opera, oratorio, etc.

réclame
n. - publicity.

reclinate
adj. - bending backwards or downwards.

recoct
v. - cook again; concoct; improvise.

recondite
adj. - concealed; abstruse; erudite.

recreant
adj.,n. - cowardly or renegade (person). recreancy, n.

recrement
n. - redundant matter; dross; Medicine, secretion of body absorbed
again by body. recremental, recrementitial, adj.

recrudesce
v. -i. grow up or break out again. recrudescence, recrudescency, n.
recrudescent, adj.

rectalgia
n. - pain in the rectum

rectigrade
adj. - moving in straight line.

rectirostral
adj. - having straight beak.

rectiserial
adj. - in vertical ranks.

recto
n. - right-hand page; front of printed or manuscript page.

rectopathic
adj. - easily hurt emotionally

rectrices
n. -pl. pl. (sing. rectrix) quill feathers of bird's tail. rectricial, adj.

rectrix
n. - a female ruler

rectum
n. - last part of large intestine, leading to anus. rectal, adj.

rectus
n. - (pl. -ti ) straight muscle.

recubation
n. - lying down

recumbentibus
n. - a knockdown blow

recusant
adj. - dissenting; disestablishmentarian

redan
n. - fieldwork in fortification, with two parapets making salient angle.

redargution
n. - refutation

redhibition
n. - the return of defective merchandise

redintegrate
v. - make whole again; restore. redintegration, n.; Psychology,
revival of whole of previous mental state at recurrence of part of it.
redintegrative, adj.

redivivus
adj. - living again; revived

reeve
n. - chief magistrate; bailiff; Canadian, rural council's president;
Ornithology, female ruff (bird); v.t. pass (rope) through ring; fasten
by reeving.

refection
n. - light meal; refreshment. refectory, n. dining room of monastery,
college, etc.

reflet
n. - lustre, irridescence, esp. on pottery.

refluent
adj. - flowing back or backward. refluence, n. reflux, n. refluence;
Chemistry, boiling of liquid in flask with condenser attached to
minimize evaporation; v.t. & i. boil (liquid) thus.

refocillate
v. - to warm into life again; revive

refragable
adj. - capable of being refuted

refrangible
adj. - capable of being refracted

refringent
adj. - refracting. refringence, refringency, n.

refulgent
adj. - radiant, brilliant, shining

regardant
adj. - Heraldry, in profile and looking to rear.

regelation
n. - freezing again, especially of water from ice melted by pressure
when pressure is relieved. regelate, v. & i.

regius
adj. - royal. regius professor, one holding professorship founded by royalty.

reglementation
n. - regulation.

regnal
adj. - pertaining to reign. regnancy, n. rule. regnant, adj. reigning.

reify
v. - literally "to make a thing"; given definite, concrete form to
something that is abstract

reis
n. - chief; captain.

reive
v. -i. rob; plunder; carry off. reiver, n.

rejectamenta
n. -pl. pl. rejected things; excrement.

relict
n. - widow; survivor; a. pertaining to land bared by reliction.
reliction, n. recession of sea leaving land bare; land so left.

religate
v. - tie together; restrain. religation, n.

reliquary
n. - container for holy relics.

reliquiae
n. - pl. 'remains'. reliquian, adj. reliquism, n. worship of relics.

relucent
adj. - reflecting; refulgent.

remiform
adj. - oar-shaped. remigate, v.i. row. remiges, n. pl. ( sing. remex)
quill feathers of bird's wing. remiped, n. & a. (creature) having legs
or feet adapted for propelling it through water.

remigrate
v. -i. migrate again; return. remigrant n. one who returns. remigration, n.

remontado
n. - someone who has fled to the mountains; a person who has renounced
civilization

remontant
adj.,n. - (rose) flowering more than once in season.

rémoulade
n. - cold sauce of mayonnaise flavoured with herbs, capers, etc.

remplissage
n. - filling or padding used in music and literature

remugient
adj. - rebellowing; roaring or shouting anew

renable
adj. - fluent, eloquent

renascible
adj. - capable of being reborn

rencontre
n. - meeting; encounter; duel.

renifleur
n. - one who gets sexual pleasure from body smells

reniform
adj. - kidney-shaped.

renitent
adj. - resisting or opposing stubbornly; recalcitrant

rennet
n. - contents or part of stomach, or preparation therefrom, of young
animal, used to curdle milk. rennin, n. gastric enzyme curdling milk.

renography
n. - treatise on or description of kidneys.

rentes
n. -pl. pl. government stock, bonds, etc. rentier, n. owner of rentes;
one living on income from investments; one living on fixed income.

renvoi
n. - expulsion of alien from country; Law, referral of dispute to
another jurisdiction.

repetend
n. - digit(s) repeated in recurring decimal; repetition of same or
similar word in sentence; refrain.

replevin
n. - Law, repossession of goods wrongfully taken, with pledge to
return them if defeated in lawsuit on the matter; writ or action in
such case. repleviable, replevisable, adj. replevisor, n. plaintiff in
replevin action. replevy, v.

repoussé
adj. - shaped in relief by being beaten up from under or reverse side;
n. such artistic work. repoussage, n. art of doing such work.

repristinate
v. - to revive; to restore

reptant
adj. - creeping. reptation, n. reptatorial, reptatory, adj.

requiescat
n. - 'may he (or she) rest'; n. prayer for dead. requiescat in pace,,
'may he (or she) rest in peace' (abbr. R.I.P.).

reredos
n. - screen behind altar; erroneously, choir screen.

res gestae
n. - n. pl. 'things done'; matters incident to question in lawsuit.

rescript
n. - decree; rewriting or rewritten thing. rescriptive, adj.

réseau
n. - network, especially of lines on astronomical photograph.

resect
v. - Surgery, remove part of organ. resection, n. such surgical
operation; determination of position by drawing lines on map from two
or more known objects.

reserpine
n. - sedative drug.

resile
v. -i. draw back; return to first position or shape. resilient, adj.
elastic; recovering quickly from shock, illness, etc. resilience, n.

resipiscent
adj. - restored to sanity; learned from experience

resorb
v. - reabsorb. resorbent, resorptive, adj. resorbence, resorption, n.

responsions
n. -pl. pl. first examination for B.A. degree at Oxford University.

resupinate
adj. - upside down. resupine, adj. supine. resupination, n.

resupination
n. - turning to an upside-down position

rete
n. - (pl. -tia,, network; net. retecious, retial, retiary, adj.

reticulate
v. - mark with network-like lines; a. like network. reticular, adj.
net-like; intricate. reticulation, n. reticulate marking. reticule, n.
handbag, especially of net. reticulose, adj. reticulated. reticulum,
n. (pl. - la) network; second stomach of ruminant. retiform a.
net-like; reticulate.

retine
n. - substance in animal tissue which retards tissue growth.

retinoid
adj. - like resin.

retortion
n. - turning or twisting back; retaliation.

retroact
v. -i. act backwards or opposite; react. retroaction, n. retroactive,
adj. taking effect as from a previous date.

retrocede
v. - go back or inwards; cede back. retrocession, n. retrocessive, adj.

retrochoir
n. - space in choir behind high altar.

retroject
v. - throw back. retrojection, n.; Medicine, washing of cavity from within.

retromancy
n. - fortunetelling by things seen over one'sshoulder

retrometer
n. - device for transmitting sound by modifying a beam of light.

retromingent
adj. - urinating backward

retromorphosis
n. - degenerative metamorphosis; change for the worse.

retrorse
adj. - turned back or down.

retrostalsis
n. - reversed peristalsis. retrostaltic, adj.

retroussé
adj. - turned up (applied to nose only).

retuse
adj. - having a blunt end with a central notch, as some leaves.

reus
n. - defendant in a courtroom trial

revalescent
adj. - convalescent. revalescence, n.

revalorize
v. - restore to original value, especially such monetary unit.

revanche
n. - revenge; desire to regain lost territory; favour done in return.
revanchism, n. policy of aggressively seeking recovery of lost
territory. revanchist, n.

revehent
adj. - carrying back.

revenant
n. - person returning after supposed death or long absence; ghost.

revers
n. - tuned-back edge or part of garment.

revetment
n. - masonry etc. facing of embankment or trench. revet, v.

revirescent
adj. - growing young or strong again. revirescence, n.

reviviscent
adj. - capable of causing revival. reviviscence, n.

revolute
adj. - rolled back, especially at edges.

rhabdomancy
n. - divination by means of rod; water-divining. rhabdos, n. magic wand.

rhabdomyoma
n. - tumour of striated muscle.

rhabdophobia
n. - fear of being punished or severely criticized

rhadamanthine
adj. - strictly and inflexibly honest and just

Rhadamanthus
n. - in Greek mythology a judge of the souls of the dead; stern judge.
Rhadamanthine, adj.

rhaebosis
n. - curvature; bandiness.

rhamphoid
adj. - beak-shaped.

rhema
n. - word; verb. rheme, n. speech element expressing an idea.
rhematic, adj. pertaining to formation of words; derived from verbs.
rhematology, n. study of rhemes.

rheology
n. - study of flow of matter. rheometer, n. instrument measuring or
controlling currents. rheophile, adj. living in running water.
rheophore, n. wire connection of electrical apparatus. rheoscope,
n.galvanoscope. rheostat, n. variable electrical resistor. rheotaxis,
n. direction of movement by water. rheotrope, n. commutator reversing
electric current. rheotropism, n. direction of growth by water.

rhexis
n. - rupture.

rhigosis
n. - sensation of cold

rhinal
adj. - nasal. rhinalgia, n. pain in nose. rhinencephalon, n. olfactory
lobe of brain. rhinenchysis, n. injection into nose. rhinitis, n.
inflammation of nose or its mucous membrane. rhinodynia, n. rhinalgia
rhinogenic, rhinogenous, adj. deriving from nose. rhinolalia, n. nasal
speech. rhinology, n. medical study of the nose. rhinophyma, n. acne
of the nose. rhinoplasty, n. plastic surgery of nose. rhinorrhagia, n.
nose-bleeding. rhinorrhoea, n. continuous nasal catarrh. rhinoscopy n.
medical examination of nose.

rhipidate
adj. - fan-shaped.

rhizanthous
adj. - with flowers emerging from root.

rhizocarpous
adj. - with perennial root, etc., but annual foliage and stems.

rhizogenic
adj. - root-producing. rhizogenous, adj.

rhizoid
n. - thin root-like filament of fern, etc.; a. root- like.

rhodocyte
n. - red blood corpuscle.

rhonchisonant
adj. - snorting; snoring

rhonchus
n. - whistling sound heard in auscultation. rhonchial, adj.

rhopalism
n. - a sentence or poem in which each word is one syllable longer than
its predecessor

rhotacism
n. - mispronunciation or overuse of sound r. rhotacize, v.i. rhotacistic, adj.

rhumb
n. - point of compass; loxodrome.

rhyparography
n. - painting or description of mean or sordid things; still-life or
genre painting. rhyparographer, rhyparographist, n. rhyparographic,
adj.

rhysimeter
n. - instrument measuring speed of current or ship.

rhytiscopia
n. - neurotic preoccupation with facial wrinkles

ria
n. - long, wide creek.

riant
adj. - laughing; jolly.

rictus
n. - orifice; mouth, especially gaping; fixed grin or grimace. rictal, adj.

rideau
n. - ridge or mound of earth, especially as protection.

ridel, riddel
n. - altar-curtain.

ridibund
adj. - easily moved to laughter.

riffler
n. - type of file used in woodworking and sculpture

rigescent
adj. - becoming numb or stiff. rigescence, n.

rima
n. - (pl. -mae ) narrow fissure. rima oris, space between lips. rimal,
adj. rimose, rimous, adj. having many rimae. rimulose, adj. having
many small rimae. rimate, adj. having rima.

rime
n. - frost; hoar-frost; ice formed from supercooled fog or cloud; v.t.
cover with rime. rimy, adj.

rinderpest
n. - cattle plague.

riparian
adj. - pertaining to or on river bank or lake shore; n. person living
on or owning river bank. riparial, riparious, ripicolous, adj. living
on river banks.

riprap
n. - stone wall used as a breakwater against waves

risible
adj. - pertaining to or capable of laughter; used in laughing;
laughable. risibles, n.pl. sense of humour; inclination to laugh.
risibility, n.

risorial
adj. - pertaining to or causing laughter.

ritornel(le), ritornello
n. - short prelude or interlude for musical instrument in song or opera.

rivière
n. - necklace of precious stones, especially having more than one string.

rivose
adj. - bearing winding furrows. rivulation, n. having irregular marks
of color. rivulose, adj. bearing winding and haphazard lines.

rixation
n. - quarreling

riziform
adj. - like a rice grain.

roak
n. - seam in a metal bar

roble
n. - several kinds of New World oak, or other hard-timbered tree.

roborant
adj.,n. - tonic. roborate, v. strengthen; corroborate. roborative, adj.

roborean
adj. - like an oak; strong. roboreous, adj.

roc
n. - mythical Arabian bird of great size. roc's egg, unattainable object.

rocaille
n. - florid, shell-like, 18th-century ornamentation; rococo scroll
ornamentation.

roche moutonnée
n. - n. (pl. roches moutonnées pron. same) 'sheep-like rock'; rock
rounded by glacial action.

rodomontade
n. - arrogant boasting; pretentious blustering, ranting, or bragging

roi
n. - king. le roi le veult, 'the king wills it'; signification of
royal assent to Act of parliament. roi fainéant, powerless king.

roil
v. - vex; disturb; irritate; rile

roinek
n. - 'red neck'; new immigrant, especially British; greenhorn.

roinous
adj. - mean, nasty and contemptible

roitelet
n. - a petty king

rolley
n. - lorry; trolley.

romal
n. - silk or cotton fabric; handkerchief of this.

roman a clef
n. - a novel whose characters are actual peoplethinly disguised

romaunt
n. - ancient romance in verse.

rood
n. - crucifix or cross; one-quarter of acre; seven or eight yards.
rood screen, screen bearing crucifix.

roric
adj. - dewy.

rorqual
n. - large whale-bone whale; finback.

rorulent
adj. - covered with dew.

rosarium
n. - rose garden. rosarian, n. cultivator of roses.

Roscius
n. - famous ancient Roman actor; great actor.

roseola
n. - rash of rose-colored patches; rose rash. roseoliform, roseolous,
roseolar, adj.

rosmarine
n. - walrus; mythical walrus-like sea animal believed to feed on dew; sea dew.

rosorial
adj. - pertaining to rodents; gnawing.

rostel(lum)
n. - small beak or beak-like outgrowth. rostellar, adj. rostellate,
adj. having rostellum. rostelliform, adj. like rostellum.

rosular, rosulate
adj. - in rosettes.

rota
n. - roster; Roman Catholic tribunal; Music, round. rotameter, n.
instrument measuring length of curved lines.

rotifer
n. - microscopic, multicellular, fresh-water creature with rotating
cilia at one end. rotiferal, rotiferous a. rotiform, adj. wheel-
shaped.

rotograph
n. - photograph of manuscript, etc., made direct on bromide paper
without negative.

rotula
n. - kneecap. rotulian, rotular, adj. rotuliform, adj. like rotula.

roué
n. - debauched man; lecher. rouérie, n.

roulade
n. - arpeggio-like musical figure sung to one syllable; rolled slice of meat.

roundel
n. - rondeau; any round thing; badge, on aircraft, of concentric colored rings.

rubedinous
adj. - ruddy. rubedity, n.

rubefacient
adj. - (substance) causing redness of skin. rubefaction, n.

rubescent
adj. - reddening; flushing. rubescence, n.

rubiaceous
adj. - like or pertaining to madder plant; belonging to madder family of plants.

rubican
adj. - red bay; sorrel.

rubific
adj.,n. - rubefacient. rubification, n. rubificative, adj.

rubiginous
adj. - rust-colored; rusty. rubiginose, adj.

rubineous, rubious
adj. - ruby-colored.

rubor
n. - redness due to excess of blood in part.

rubric
n. - passage in book printed in red or other distinctive type,
especially such direction in service book; any direction as to conduct
or ceremony; title; heading. rubrical, adj. rubricality, n. ceremony.
rubricate, v. mark in red; fix like a ritual. rubrication, n.
rubrician, n. student of rubrics. rubricism, rubricity, n. strict
adherence to rubric; formalism. rubricose, adj. ruddy.

ructation
n. - belching

ruderal
adj. - Botany, growing in refuse or waste ground.

rudesby
n. - a loud-mouthed ill-mannered boor

rudiment
n. - elementary principle; undeveloped part or organ. rudimental,
rudimentary, adj.

rufescent
adj. - ruddy; bronzy. rufescence, n.

rufous
adj. - reddish; tawny; red-haired. rufulous, adj. somewhat rufous.

rugose
adj. - having wrinkles

rumal
n. - romal

rumen
n. - (pl. -mina ) first stomach of ruminant; cud. rumenitis ,, n.
inflammation of rumen. rumenotomy n. incision into rumen.

runcible
adj. - sensuous

runcinate
adj. - pinnate with lobes pointing downwards.

runnel
n. - little brook

rupestrian
n. - made of, or written on, rock. rupestral, adj. rupestrine, adj.
living on or in rocks.

rupicoline, rupicolous
adj. - rupestrine.

ruridecanal
adj. - pertaining to rural dean and his jurisdiction.

rusticate
v. - live in country; make rustic; punish by expelling from university
for a period; Architecture, face with large, boldly textured blocks
with deep grooves between. rustication, n.

rutidosis
n. - wrinkling.

rutilant
adj. - shining red. rutilous, adj.

rynchosporous
adj. - having beaked fruit.