Adjacent Words

Rule definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RULE, n. [L. regula, from rego, to govern, that is, to stretch, strain or make straight.]
1. Government; sway; empire; control; supreme command or authority.
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame. Proverbs 17.
And his stern rule the groaning land obey'd.
2. That which is established as a principle, standard or directory; that by which any thing is to be adjusted or regulated, or to which it is to be conformed; that which is settled by authority or custom for guidance and direction. Thus a statute or law is a rule of civil conduct; a canon is a rule of ecclesiastical government; the precept or command of a father is a rule of action or obedience to children; precedents in law are rules of decision to judges; maxims and customs furnish rules for regulating our social opinions and manners. The laws of God are rules for directing us in life, paramount to all others.
A rule which you do not apply, is no rule at all.
3. An instrument by which lines are drawn.
Judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule.
4. Established mode or course of proceeding prescribed in private life. Every man should have some fixed rules for managing his own affairs.
5. In literature, a maxim, canon or precept to be observed in any art or science.
6. In monasteries, corporations or societies, a law or regulation to be observed by the society and its particular members.
7. In courts, rules are the determinations and orders of court, to be observed by its officers in conducting the business of the court.
8. In arithmetic and algebra, a determinate mode prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result.
9. In grammar, an establish form of construction in a particular class of words; or the expression of that form in words. Thus it is a rule in English, that s or es, added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but man forms its plural men, and is an exception to the rule.
Rule of three, is that rule of arithmetic which directs, when three terms are given, how to find a fourth, which shall have the same ratio to the third term, as the second has to the first.
RULE, v.t.
1. To govern; to control the will and actions of others, either by arbitrary power and authority, or by established laws. The emperors of the east rule their subjects without the restraints of a constitution. In limited governments, men are ruled by known laws.
If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? 1 Timothy 3.
2. To govern the movements of things; to conduct; to manage; to control. That God rules the world he has created, is a fundamental article of belief.
3. To manage; to conduct, in almost any manner.
4. To settle as by a rule.
That's a ruled case with the schoolmen.
5. To mark with lines by a ruler; as, to rule a blank book.
6. To establish by decree or decision; to determine; as a court.
RULE, v.i. To have power or command; to exercise supreme authority.
By me princes rule. Proverbs 8.
It is often followed by over.
They shall rule over their oppressors. Isaiah 14.
We subdue and rule over all other creatures.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation" [syn: rule, regulation]
2: something regarded as a normative example; "the convention of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors" [syn: convention, normal, pattern, rule, formula]
3: prescribed guide for conduct or action [syn: rule, prescript]
4: (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice [syn: rule, linguistic rule]
5: a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; "their principles of composition characterized all their works" [syn: principle, rule]
6: the duration of a monarch's or government's power; "during the rule of Elizabeth"
7: dominance or power through legal authority; "France held undisputed dominion over vast areas of Africa"; "the rule of Caesar" [syn: dominion, rule]
8: directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted; "he knew the rules of chess"
9: any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order; "the rule of St. Dominic"
10: a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields" [syn: principle, rule]
11: (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; "he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"; "he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials" [syn: rule, formula]
12: measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths [syn: rule, ruler] v
1: exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?" [syn: govern, rule]
2: decide with authority; "The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed" [syn: rule, decree]
3: be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood" [syn: predominate, dominate, rule, reign, prevail]
4: decide on and make a declaration about; "find someone guilty" [syn: rule, find]
5: have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiac
6: mark or draw with a ruler; "rule the margins"
7: keep in check; "rule one's temper" [syn: rule, harness, rein]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English reule, from Anglo-French, from Latin regula straightedge, rule, from regere to keep straight, direct — more at right Date: 13th century 1. a. a prescribed guide for conduct or action b. the laws or regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for observance by its members c. an accepted procedure, custom, or habit d. (1) a usually written order or direction made by a court regulating court practice or the action of parties (2) a legal precept or doctrine e. a regulation or bylaw governing procedure or controlling conduct 2. a. (1) a usually valid generalization (2) a generally prevailing quality, state, or mode <fair weather was the rule yesterday — New York Times> b. a standard of judgment ; criterion c. a regulating principle d. a determinate method for performing a mathematical operation and obtaining a certain result 3. a. the exercise of authority or control ; dominion b. a period during which a specified ruler or government exercises control 4. a. a strip of material marked off in units used especially for measuring ; ruler 3, tape measure b. a metal strip with a type-high face that prints a linear design; also a linear design produced by or as if by such a strip Synonyms: see law II. verb (ruled; ruling) Date: 13th century transitive verb 1. a. to exert control, direction, or influence on <the passions that rule our minds> b. to exercise control over especially by curbing or restraining <rule a fractious horse> <ruled his appetites firmly> 2. a. to exercise authority or power over often harshly or arbitrarily <the speaker ruled the legislature with an iron hand> b. to be preeminent in ; dominate 3. to determine and declare authoritatively; especially to command or determine judicially 4. a. (1) to mark with lines drawn along or as if along the straight edge of a ruler (2) to mark (a line) on a paper with a ruler b. to arrange in a line intransitive verb 1. a. to exercise supreme authority b. to be first in importance or prominence ; predominate <the physical did not rule in her nature — Sherwood Anderson> 2. to exist in a specified state or condition 3. to lay down a legal rule 4. slang to be extremely cool or popular — used as a generalized term of praise or approval <for a little attitude at the right price, sneakers rule — Tish Hamilton> Synonyms: see decide

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a principle to which an action conforms or is required to conform. 2 a prevailing custom or standard; the normal state of things. 3 government or dominion (under British rule; the rule of law). 4 a graduated straight measure used in carpentry etc.; a ruler. 5 Printing a a thin strip of metal for separating headings, columns, etc. b a thin line or dash. 6 a code of discipline of a religious order. 7 Law an order made by a judge or court with reference to a particular case only. 8 (Rules) Austral. = Australian Rules. --v. 1 tr. exercise decisive influence over; keep under control. 2 tr. & (foll. by over) intr. have sovereign control of (rules over a vast kingdom). 3 tr. (often foll. by that + clause) pronounce authoritatively (was ruled out of order). 4 tr. a make parallel lines across (paper). b make (a straight line) with a ruler etc. 5 intr. (of prices or goods etc. in regard to price or quality etc.) have a specified general level; be for the most part (the market ruled high). 6 tr. (in passive; foll. by by) consent to follow (advice etc.); be guided by. Phrases and idioms: as a rule usually; more often than not. by rule in a regulation manner; mechanically. rule of the road see ROAD(1). rule of three a method of finding a number in the same ratio to one given as exists between two others given. rule of thumb a rule for general guidance, based on experience or practice rather than theory. rule out exclude; pronounce irrelevant or ineligible. rule the roost (or roast) be in control. run the rule over examine cursorily for correctness or adequacy. Derivatives: ruleless adj. Etymology: ME f. OF reule, reuler f. LL regulare f. L regula straight stick

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rule Rule, n. [OE. reule, riule, OF. riule, reule, F. r['e]gle, fr. L. regula a ruler, rule, model, fr. regere, rectum, to lead straight, to direct. See Right, a., and cf. Regular.] 1. That which is prescribed or laid down as a guide for conduct or action; a governing direction for a specific purpose; an authoritative enactment; a regulation; a prescription; a precept; as, the rules of various societies; the rules governing a school; a rule of etiquette or propriety; the rules of cricket. We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives. --Tillotson. 2. Hence: (a) Uniform or established course of things. 'T is against the rule of nature. --Shak. (b) Systematic method or practice; as, my ule is to rise at six o'clock. (c) Ordibary course of procedure; usual way; comon state or condition of things; as, it is a rule to which there are many exeptions. (d) Conduct in general; behavior. [Obs.] This uncivil rule; she shall know of it. --Shak. 3. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control. Obey them that have the rule over you. --Heb. xiii. 17. His stern rule the groaning land obeyed. --Pope. 4. (Law) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit. --Wharton. 5. (Math.) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result; as, a rule for extracting the cube root. 6. (Gram.) A general principle concerning the formation or use of words, or a concise statement thereof; thus, it is a rule in England, that s or es, added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but ``man'' forms its plural ``men'', and is an exception to the rule. 7. (a) A straight strip of wood, metal, or the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line; a ruler. (b) A measuring instrument consisting of a graduated bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded compactly. A judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule. --South. 8. (Print.) (a) A thin plate of metal (usually brass) of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work. (b) A composing rule. See under Conposing. As a rule, as a general thing; in the main; usually; as, he behaves well, as a rule. Board rule, Caliber rule, etc. See under Board, Caliber, etc. Rule joint, a knuckle joint having shoulders that abut when the connected pieces come in line with each other, and thus permit folding in one direction only. Rule of three (Arith.), that rule which directs, when three terms are given, how to find a fourth, which shall have the same ratio to the third term as the second has to the first; proportion. See Proportion, 5 (b) . Rule of thumb, any rude process or operation, like that of using the thumb as a rule in measuring; hence, judgment and practical experience as distinguished from scientific knowledge. Syn: regulation; law; precept; maxim; guide; canon; order; method; direction; control; government; sway; empire.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rule Rule, v. i. 1. To have power or command; to exercise supreme authority; -- often followed by over. By me princes rule, and nobles. --Prov. viii. 16. We subdue and rule over all other creatures. --Ray. 2. (Law) To lay down and settle a rule or order of court; to decide an incidental point; to enter a rule. --Burril. Bouvier. 3. (Com.) To keep within a (certain) range for a time; to be in general, or as a rule; as, prices ruled lower yesterday than the day before.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rule Rule, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruled; p. pr. & vb. n. Ruling.] [Cf. OF. riuler, ruiler, L. regulare. See Rule, n., and cf. Regulate.] 1. To control the will and actions of; to exercise authority or dominion over; to govern; to manage. --Chaucer. A bishop then must be blameless; . . . one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection. --1 Tim. iii. 2, 4. 2. To control or direct by influence, counsel, or persuasion; to guide; -- used chiefly in the passive. I think she will be ruled In all respects by me. --Shak. 3. To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice. That's are ruled case with the schoolmen. --Atterbury. 4. (Law) To require or command by rule; to give as a direction or order of court. 5. To mark with lines made with a pen, pencil, etc., guided by a rule or ruler; to print or mark with lines by means of a rule or other contrivance effecting a similar result; as, to rule a sheet of paper of a blank book. Ruled surface (Geom.), any surface that may be described by a straight line moving according to a given law; -- called also a scroll.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Rule Rule, n. Rule of the road (Law), any of the various regulations imposed upon travelers by land or water for their mutual convenience or safety. In the United States it is a rule of the road that land travelers passing in opposite directions shall turn out each to his own right, and generally that overtaking persons or vehicles shall turn out to the left; in England the rule for vehicles (but not for pedestrians) is the opposite of this. Run Run, n. 1. (Piquet, Cribbage, etc.) A number of cards of the same suit in sequence; as, a run of four in hearts. 2. (Golf) (a) The movement communicated to a golf ball by running. (b) The distance a ball travels after touching the ground from a stroke.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(rules, ruling, ruled) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Rules are instructions that tell you what you are allowed to do and what you are not allowed to do. ...a thirty-two-page pamphlet explaining the rules of basketball... Strictly speaking, this was against the rules. N-COUNT: oft N of n, N num 2. A rule is a statement telling people what they should do in order to achieve success or a benefit of some kind. An important rule is to drink plenty of water during any flight... N-COUNT: oft N for/of n 3. The rules of something such as a language or a science are statements that describe the way that things usually happen in a particular situation. ...according to the rules of quantum theory. N-COUNT: oft N of n 4. If something is the rule, it is the normal state of affairs. However, for many Americans today, weekend work has unfortunately become the rule rather than the exception. N-SING: the N 5. The person or group that rules a country controls its affairs. For four centuries, he says, foreigners have ruled Angola... He ruled for eight months. ...the long line of feudal lords who had ruled over this land. VERB: V n, V, V over n • Rule is also a noun. ...demands for an end to one-party rule. N-UNCOUNT: usu supp N 6. If something rules your life, it influences or restricts your actions in a way that is not good for you. Scientists have always been aware of how fear can rule our lives and make us ill. VERB: V n 7. When someone in authority rules that something is true or should happen, they state that they have officially decided that it is true or should happen. (FORMAL) The court ruled that laws passed by the assembly remained valid... The Israeli court has not yet ruled on the case... A provincial magistrates' court last week ruled it unconstitutional... The committee ruled against all-night opening mainly on safety grounds. = pronounce VERB: V that, V on n, V n adj/n, V against n, also V in favour of n 8. If you rule a straight line, you draw it using something that has a straight edge. ...a ruled grid of horizontal and vertical lines. VERB: V-ed, also V n 9. see also golden rule, ground rule, ruling, slide rule 10. If you say that something happens as a rule, you mean that it usually happens. As a rule, however, such attacks have been aimed at causing damage rather than taking life. = generally, usually PHRASE: PHR with cl 11. If someone in authority bends the rules or stretches the rules, they do something even though it is against the rules. There is a particular urgency in this case, and it would help if you could bend the rules. PHRASE: V inflects 12. A rule of thumb is a rule or principle that you follow which is not based on exact calculations, but rather on experience. A good rule of thumb is that a broker must generate sales of ten times his salary if his employer is to make a profit... PHRASE: rule inflects 13. If workers work to rule, they protest by working according to the rules of their job without doing any extra work or taking any new decisions. (BRIT) Nurses are continuing to work to rule. PHRASE: V inflects

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Command, control, domination, dominion, lordship, mastership, mastery, government, empire, sway, direction, authority. 2. Behavior, conduct. 3. Method, regularity, order. 4. Precept, law, canon, maxim, aphorism, formula, test, criterion, standard, touchstone. 5. Order, ruling, prescription, regulation, guide, precept. 6. Ruler. II. v. a. 1. Govern, command, control, conduct, manage, bridle, restrain, direct, lead. 2. Guide, advise, persuade, prevail on. 3. Settle, establish. 4. (Law.) Determine, decide. III. v. n. 1. Command, govern, have command, have control, exercise supreme authority. 2. Prevail, decide. 3. Settle, decide, establish.

Moby Thesaurus

Aristotelian sorites, Goclenian sorites, Procrustean law, SOP, T square, a priori truth, acme, act, act on, administration, antetype, antitype, apothegm, appointment, apriorism, archetype, as a rule, ascendancy, assize, authority, authorization, average, axiom, balance, ban, bar, barometer, be in, be in force, be the rage, be the rule, be the thing, be-all and end-all, bear reign, bid, bill, biotype, blue ribbon, brevet, brocard, bull, bylaw, bypass, call on, call the shots, call the signals, call upon, canon, carry authority, categorical syllogism, center, championship, charge, charisma, charm, check, chiefly, civil government, classic example, claws, clout, clutches, code, command, commandment, commission, common practice, commonly, conclude, condemn, consequence, control, convention, crack the whip, credit, criterion, customarily, customs, decide, declaration, declare, decorum, decree, decree-law, decreement, decretal, decretum, deduce, deem, degree, determine, dictate, dictation, dictum, diktat, dilemma, direct, direction, directive, directorship, discipline, dismiss, dispensation, dispose, disposition, disregard, dominance, dominate, domination, domineer, dominion, doom, drill, edict, edictum, effect, effectiveness, eliminate, eminence, empery, empire, enactment, enchantment, enjoin, enthymeme, epitome, esteem, etiquette, exclude, fact, favor, fiat, figure, find, find against, find for, first place, first prize, forbid, force, form, form of government, formality, formula, formulary, fugleman, fugler, fundamental, gather, gauge, general orders, general principle, generality, generally, genotype, give an order, give the word, gnome, golden mean, golden rule, good feeling, govern, governance, government, graduated scale, grip, guide, guideline, guiding principle, hand, hands, happy medium, have clout, have power, have the power, have the right, have the say, head up, headship, hegemony, height, highest, hold, ignore, imitatee, imperative, imperium, importance, in the main, incidental power, infer, influence, influentiality, insinuation, institution, instruct, instruction, ipse dixit, iron hand, issue a command, issue a writ, judge, jurisdiction, jus, juste-milieu, kingship, law, law of nature, lay off, lay out, lead, leadership, legislation, leverage, lex, lordship, magnetism, mainly, manage, management, mandate, mark off, mark out, mastership, mastery, matter of course, maxim, maximum, mean, measure, measure off, measure out, median, mediocrity, medium, middle, middle course, middle ground, middle point, middle position, middle state, middle-of-the-road, midpoint, mirror, mitzvah, mode, model, modus tollens, moment, mood, moral, most, mostly, ne plus ultra, negate, new high, norm, norma, normal, normally, obtain, on the whole, ordain, order, order about, order of nature, ordinance, ordinarily, ordonnance, original, overlook, overrule, oversee, oversight, pace off, palms, par, paradigm, paralogism, parameter, paramountcy, pass judgment, pass sentence, pattern, personality, persuasion, policy, political organization, polity, possess authority, postulate, potency, power, practice, precedent, precept, preclude, predominance, predominate, preponderance, preponderate, prescribed form, prescript, prescription, preside, preside over, presidency, pressure, prestige, prevail, primacy, principium, principle, procedure, proclaim, proclamation, prohibit, promulgate, pronounce, pronounce judgment, pronounce on, pronouncement, pronunciamento, proposition, propriety, proscribe, prosyllogism, prototype, pseudosyllogism, purchase, quantity, raj, reading, readout, record, regime, regimen, regnancy, regulate, regulation, reign, report, representative, repute, rescript, resolve, return a verdict, routine, rubric, rule of deduction, rule off, rule out, rule over, ruler, ruling, run, say, say the word, scale, self-evident truth, senatus consult, senatus consultum, sentence, set form, set off, settle, settled principle, sorites, sovereignty, square, standard, standard operating procedure, standing order, standing orders, statute, step off, straightedge, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, superintend, supervise, supervision, supremacy, sway, syllogism, system of government, talons, tenet, test, theorem, top spot, touchstone, triangle, truism, truth, type, type species, type specimen, ukase, universal law, universal truth, upper hand, urtext, usually, utter a judgment, value, via media, wear the crown, wear the pants, weight, whip hand, wield authority, wield the scepter, working principle, working rule, yardstick, zenith