Adjacent Words

Race definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RACE, n. [L. radix and radius having the same original. This word coincides in origin with rod, ray, radiate, etc.]
1. The lineage of a family, or continued series of descendants from a parent who is called the stock. A race is the series of descendants indefinitely. Thus all mankind are called the race of Adam; the Israelites are of the race of Abraham and Jacob. Thus we speak of a race of kings, the race of Clovis or Charlemagne; a race of nobles, etc.
Hence the long race of Alban fathers come.
2. A generation; a family of descendants. A race of youthful and unhandled colts.
3. A particular breed; as a race of mules; a race of horses; a race of sheep.
Of such a race no matter who is king.
4. A root; as race-ginger, ginger in the root or not pulverized.
5. A particular strength or taste of wine; a kind of tartness.
RACE, n. [L. gradior, gressus, with the prefix g. Eng. ride.]
1. A running; a rapid course or motion, either on the feet, on horseback or in a carriage, etc.; particularly, a contest in running; a running in competition for a prize.
The race was one of the exercises of the Grecian games.
I wield the gauntlet and I run the race.
2. Any sunning with speed.
The flight of many birds is swifter than the race of any beast.
3. A progress; a course; a movement or progression of any kind.
My race of glory run.
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Hebrews 12.
4. Course; train; process; as the prosecution and race of the war. [Not now used.]
5. A strong or rapid current of water, or the channel or passage for such a current; as a mill-race.
6. By way of distinction, a contest in the running of horses; generally in the plural. The races commence in October.
RACE, v.i. To run swiftly; to run or contend in running. The animals raced over the ground.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any competition; "the race for the presidency"
2: a contest of speed; "the race is to the swift"
3: people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock; "some biologists doubt that there are important genetic differences between races of human beings"
4: (biology) a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species [syn: subspecies, race]
5: the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller [syn: slipstream, airstream, race, backwash, wash]
6: a canal for a current of water [syn: raceway, race] v
1: move fast; "He rushed down the hall to receive his guests"; "The cars raced down the street" [syn: rush, hotfoot, hasten, hie, speed, race, pelt along, rush along, cannonball along, bucket along, belt along, step on it] [ant: dawdle, linger]
2: compete in a race; "he is running the Marathon this year"; "let's race and see who gets there first" [syn: race, run]
3: to work as fast as possible towards a goal, sometimes in competition with others; "We are racing to find a cure for AIDS"
4: cause to move fast or to rush or race; "The psychologist raced the rats through a long maze" [syn: race, rush]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ras, from Old Norse r?s; akin to Old English r?s rush Date: 14th century 1. chiefly Scottish the act of running 2. a. a strong or rapid current of water flowing through a narrow channel b. a watercourse used industrially c. the current flowing in such a course 3. a. a set course or duration of time b. the course of life 4. a. a contest of speed b. plural a meeting in which several races (as for horses) are run c. a contest or rivalry involving progress toward a goal <pennant race> 5. a track or channel in which something rolls or slides; specifically a groove (as for the balls) in a bearing — see roller bearing illustration II. verb (raced; racing) Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. to compete in a race 2. to go, move, or function at top speed or out of control <people racing for safety> <a heart racing from excitement> <struggled to sleep as his mind raced> 3. to revolve too fast under a diminished load transitive verb 1. to engage in a race with 2. a. to enter in a race b. to drive or ride at high speed c. to transport or propel at maximum speed 3. to speed (as an engine) without a working load or with the transmission disengaged III. noun Etymology: Middle French, generation, from Old Italian razza Date: 1580 1. a breeding stock of animals 2. a. a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock b. a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics <the English race> 3. a. an actually or potentially interbreeding group within a species; also a taxonomic category (as a subspecies) representing such a group b. breed c. a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits 4. obsolete inherited temperament or disposition 5. distinctive flavor, taste, or strength

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a contest of speed between runners, horses, vehicles, ships, etc. 2 (in pl.) a series of these for horses, dogs, etc. at a fixed time on a regular course. 3 a contest between persons to be first to achieve something. 4 a a strong or rapid current flowing through a narrow channel in the sea or a river (a tide race). b the channel of a stream etc. (a mill-race). 5 each of two grooved rings in a ball-bearing or roller bearing. 6 Austral. a fenced passageway for drafting sheep etc. 7 a passageway along which football players etc. run to enter the field. 8 (in weaving) the channel along which the shuttle moves. 9 archaic a the course of the sun or moon. b the course of life (has run his race). --v. 1 intr. take part in a race. 2 tr. have a race with. 3 tr. try to surpass in speed. 4 intr. (foll. by with) compete in speed with. 5 tr. cause (a horse, car, etc.) to race. 6 a intr. go at full or (of an engine, propeller, the pulse, etc.) excessive speed. b tr. cause (a person or thing) to do this (raced the bill through the House). 7 intr. (usu. as racing adj.) follow or take part in horse-racing (a racing man). Phrases and idioms: not in the race Austral. sl. having no chance. race meeting a sequence of horse-races at one place. racing car a motor car built for racing on a prepared track. Etymology: ME, = running, f. ON rás 2. n. 1 each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics. 2 a tribe, nation, etc., regarded as of a distinct ethnic stock. 3 the fact or concept of division into races (discrimination based on race). 4 a genus, species, breed, or variety of animals, plants, or micro-organisms. 5 a group of persons, animals, or plants connected by common descent. 6 any great division of living creatures (the feathered race; the four-footed race). 7 descent; kindred (of noble race; separate in language and race). 8 a class of persons etc. with some common feature (the race of poets). Phrases and idioms: race relations relations between members of different races usu. in the same country. race riot an outbreak of violence due to racial antagonism. Etymology: F f. It. razza, of unkn. orig. 3. n. a ginger root. Etymology: OF rais, raiz f. L radix radicis root

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Consolation game Con`so*la"tion game, match match, pot pot, race race, etc. A game, match, etc., open only to losers in early stages of contests.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Raced; p. pr. & vb. n. Racing.] 1. To run swiftly; to contend in a race; as, the animals raced over the ground; the ships raced from port to port. 2. (Steam Mach.) To run too fast at times, as a marine engine or screw, when the screw is lifted out of water by the action of a heavy sea.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, v. t. 1. To cause to contend in race; to drive at high speed; as, to race horses. 2. To run a race with.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, v. t. To raze. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, n. [OF. ra["i]z, L. radix, -icis. See Radix.] A root. ``A race or two of ginger.'' --Shak. Race ginger, ginger in the root, or not pulverized.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, n. [F. race; cf. Pr. & Sp. raza, It. razza; all from OHG. reiza line, akin to E. write. See Write.] 1. The descendants of a common ancestor; a family, tribe, people, or nation, believed or presumed to belong to the same stock; a lineage; a breed. The whole race of mankind. --Shak. Whence the long race of Alban fathers come. --Dryden. Note: Naturalists and ehnographers divide mankind into several distinct varieties, or races. Cuvier refers them all to three, Pritchard enumerates seven, Agassiz eight, Pickering describes eleven. One of the common classifications is that of Blumenbach, who makes five races: the Caucasian, or white race, to which belong the greater part of the European nations and those of Western Asia; the Mongolian, or yellow race, occupying Tartary, China, Japan, etc.; the Ethiopian, or negro race, occupying most of Africa (except the north), Australia, Papua, and other Pacific Islands; the American, or red race, comprising the Indians of North and South America; and the Malayan, or brown race, which occupies the islands of the Indian Archipelago, etc. Many recent writers classify the Malay and American races as branches of the Mongolian. See Illustration in Appendix. 2. Company; herd; breed. For do but note a wild and wanton herd, Or race of youthful and unhandled colts, Fetching mad bounds. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) A variety of such fixed character that it may be propagated by seed. 4. Peculiar flavor, taste, or strength, as of wine; that quality, or assemblage of qualities, which indicates origin or kind, as in wine; hence, characteristic flavor; smack. ``A race of heaven.'' --Shak. Is it [the wine] of the right race ? --Massinqer. 5. Hence, characteristic quality or disposition. [Obs.] And now I give my sensual race the rein. --Shak. Some . . . great race of fancy or judgment. --Sir W. Temple. Syn: Lineage; line; family; house; breed; offspring; progeny; issue.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Race Race, n. [OE. ras, res, rees, AS. r[=ae]s a rush, running; akin to Icel. r[=a]s course, race. [root]118.] 1. A progress; a course; a movement or progression. 2. Esp., swift progress; rapid course; a running. The flight of many birds is swifter than the race of any beasts. --Bacon. 3. Hence: The act or process of running in competition; a contest of speed in any way, as in running, riding, driving, skating, rowing, sailing; in the plural, usually, a meeting for contests in the running of horses; as, he attended the races. The race is not to the swift. --Eccl. ix. 11. I wield the gauntlet, and I run the race. --Pope. 4. Competitive action of any kind, especially when prolonged; hence, career; course of life. My race of glory run, and race of shame. --Milton. 5. A strong or rapid current of water, or the channel or passage for such a current; a powerful current or heavy sea, sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland Race; the Race of Alderney. 6. The current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel in which it flows; a mill race. Note: The part of the channel above the wheel is sometimes called the headrace, the part below, the tailrace. 7. (Mach.) A channel or guide along which a shuttle is driven back and forth, as in a loom, sewing machine, etc. Race cloth, a cloth worn by horses in racing, having pockets to hold the weights prescribed. Race course. (a) The path, generally circular or elliptical, over which a race is run. (b) Same as Race way, below. Race cup, a cup given as a prize to the victor in a race. Race glass, a kind of field glass. Race horse. (a) A horse that runs in competition; specifically, a horse bred or kept for running races. (b) A breed of horses remarkable for swiftness in running. (c) (Zo["o]l.) The steamer duck. (d) (Zo["o]l.) A mantis. Race knife, a cutting tool with a blade that is hooked at the point, for marking outlines, on boards or metals, as by a pattern, -- used in shipbuilding. Race saddle, a light saddle used in racing. Race track. Same as Race course (a), above. Race way, the canal for the current that drives a water wheel.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(races, racing, raced) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A race is a competition to see who is the fastest, for example in running, swimming, or driving. The women's race was won by the American, Patti Sue Plumer. N-COUNT 2. If you race, you take part in a race. In the 10 years I raced in Europe, 30 drivers were killed... They may even have raced each other–but not regularly. VERB: V, V n, also V against n 3. The races are a series of horse races that are held in a particular place on a particular day. People go to watch and to bet on which horse will win. The high point of this trip was a day at the races. N-PLURAL: the N 4. A race is a situation in which people or organizations compete with each other for power or control. The race for the White House begins in earnest today... N-COUNT: usu sing, usu with supp see also arms race, rat race 5. A race is one of the major groups which human beings can be divided into according to their physical features, such as the colour of their skin. The College welcomes students of all races, faiths, and nationalities... N-VAR see also human race, race relations 6. If you race somewhere, you go there as quickly as possible. He raced across town to the State House building... VERB: V adv/prep 7. If something races towards a particular state or position, it moves very fast towards that state or position. Do they realize we are racing towards complete economic collapse?... VERB: V prep/adv 8. If you race a vehicle or animal, you prepare it for races and make it take part in races. He still raced sports cars as often as he could. VERB: V n 9. If your mind races, or if thoughts race through your mind, you think very fast about something, especially when you are in a difficult or dangerous situation. I made sure I sounded calm but my mind was racing... Bits and pieces of the past raced through her mind. VERB: V, V adv/prep 10. If your heart races, it beats very quickly because you are excited or afraid. Her heart raced uncontrollably. VERB: V 11. see also racing 12. You describe a situation as a race against time when you have to work very fast in order to do something before a particular time, or before another thing happens. An air force spokesman said the rescue operation was a race against time. PHRASE

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ras (merox; agon, dromos).

See GAMES, I, 2; II, 3.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Generation, lineage, stock, breed, family, line, house, kindred. 2. Tribe, family, clan, people, nation. 3. Progeny, descendants, offspring, children, breed, lineage, issue, stock. 4. Trial of speed. 5. Chase, pursuit. 6. Mill-race, head-race. 7. Flavor, taste, strength, quality, smack (of wine). 8. Root. II. v. n. 1. Run swiftly. 2. Contend in running. III. v. a. Drive swiftly.

Moby Thesaurus

Le Mans, accelerate, adolescent stream, affiliation, affluence, afflux, affluxion, air race, animal kingdom, apparentation, aqueduct, arroyo, automobile race, beck, bed, bicycle race, birth, blood, bloodline, boat race, boat-race, boil, bolt, bourn, bout, bracket, braided stream, branch, brand, breed, brood, brook, brooklet, bundle, burn, burst, burst of speed, bustle, canal, canter, career, cast, caste, category, channel, character, charge, chase, chute, clan, class, color, common ancestry, community, compete with, competition, concourse, confluence, conflux, consanguinity, contention, contest, contest of speed, course, crack on, creek, creek bed, crick, cross-country race, crosscurrent, culture, culvert, current, dart, dash, dash off, dash on, dead run, decathlon, defluxion, deme, denomination, derby, derivation, descent, description, designation, direct line, distaff side, division, dog race, dogtrot, donga, double-header, double-time, doubles, downflow, downpour, drag race, drift, driftage, drive, dry bed, endurance race, estate, ethnic group, event, extraction, family, feather, female line, festinate, filiation, flank speed, flat-out speed, fling, flow, flowing, flowing stream, fluency, flume, flurry, flutter, fluviation, flux, fly, folk, footrace, forced draft, form, foursome, fresh, freshet, full gallop, gain ground, gallop, game, games of chance, genre, gens, genus, get going, get moving, gill, go, grade, grain, group, grouping, gulch, gully, gullyhole, gush, hand gallop, hare, haste, hasten, head, heading, headlong rush, headrace, heat, heavy right foot, helter-skelter, hie, high lope, hop to it, horse-race, house, hump, hump it, hurdle race, hurry, hurry on, hurry through, hurry up, hurry-scurry, hurtle, hustle, ilk, inflow, irrigation ditch, jog trot, kidney, kill, kin, kind, kindred, label, lap, lash, lazy stream, leap, level, line, line of descent, lineage, lope, lose no time, lot, make, make haste, male line, manner, marathon, marathon race, mark, match, match race, matriclan, maximum speed, meandering stream, meet, midchannel, midstream, mill run, millrace, millstream, mold, motorcycle race, move quickly, moving road, nation, nationality, nature, navigable river, nullah, number, obstacle race, onrush, onward course, open the throttle, open throttle, order, outflow, patriclan, pentathlon, people, persuasion, phratry, phyle, phylum, pick up speed, pigeonhole, plant kingdom, play, play-off, plunge, position, post, potato race, predicament, press on, push on, put on, put on steam, quicken, race with, racecourse, racing stream, rally, rank, rating, regatta, relay, relay race, rev, rip, rivalry, river, river bed, riverway, rivulet, road race, rubric, run, run a race, rundle, runlet, runnel, runoff, rush, rush through, sack race, scamper, scoot, scour, scramble, scud, scurry, scuttle, section, seed, sept, set, shape, shoot, side, sike, singles, skedaddle, sluice, society, sort, spate, spear side, species, speech community, speed, speed up, speedway race, spill stream, spillbox, spillway, spindle side, sport, sprint, sprint race, spurt, stamp, station, status, stem, step lively, step on it, step up, stirps, stock, stock-car race, strain, stratum, stream, stream action, stream bed, streamlet, streamway, stripe, style, subdivision, subgroup, suborder, subterranean river, succession, surge, swash, swash channel, sword side, tailrace, tear, the like of, the likes of, the turf, three-legged race, threesome, tide, title, torch race, totem, track, track race, trend, tribe, trot, twosome, type, undercurrent, undertow, variety, wadi, walk, water carrier, water channel, water flow, water furrow, water gap, water gate, watercourse, waterway, waterworks, wide-open speed, yacht race, zip