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Rhomb

An equilateral parallelogram, or quadrilateral figure whose sides are equal and the opposite sides parallel. The angles may be unequal, two being obtuse and two acute, as in the cut, or the angles may be equal, in which case it is usually called a square.

Rhomboganoid

A ganoid fish having rhombic enameled scales; one of the Rhomboganoidei.

Rhombogene

A dicyemid which produces infusorialike embryos; -- opposed to nematogene. See Dicyemata.

Rhombohedral

Related to the rhombohedron; presenting the form of a rhombohedron, or a form derivable from a rhombohedron; relating to a system of forms including the rhombohedron and scalenohedron.

Rhombohedron

A solid contained by six rhomboids; a parallelopiped.

Rhomboidal

Having, or approaching, the shape of a rhomboid.

Rhonchial

Of or pertaining to a rhonchus; produced by rhonchi.

Rhonchus

An adventitious whistling or snoring sound heard on auscultation of the chest when the air channels are partially obstructed. By some writers the term rhonchus is used as equivalent to r/le in its widest sense. See R/le.

Rhopalic

Applied to a line or verse in which each successive word has one more syllable than the preceding.

Rhopalium

One of the marginal sensory bodies of medusae belonging to the Discophora.

Rhopalocera

A division of Lepidoptera including all the butterflies. They differ from other Lepidoptera in having club-shaped antennae.

Rhotacism

An oversounding, or a misuse, of the letter r; specifically (Phylol.), the tendency, exhibited in the Indo-European languages, to change s to r, as wese to were.

Rhubarb

The name of several large perennial herbs of the genus Rheum and order Polygonaceae.

Rhumb

A line which crosses successive meridians at a constant angle; -- called also rhumb line, and loxodromic curve. See Loxodromic.

Rhus

A genus of shrubs and small treets. See Sumac.

Rhusma

A mixtire of caustic lime and orpiment, or tersulphide of arsenic, -- used in the depilation of hides.

Rhymer

One who makes rhymes; a versifier; -- generally in contempt; a poor poet; a poetaster.

Rhymery

The art or habit of making rhymes; rhyming; -- in contempt.

Rhynchobdellea

A suborder of leeches including those that have a protractile proboscis, without jaws. Clepsine is the type.

Rhynchocephala

An order of reptiles having biconcave vertebrae, immovable quadrate bones, and many other peculiar osteological characters. Hatteria is the only living genus, but numerous fossil genera are known, some of which are among the earliest of reptiles. See Hatteria. Called also Rhynchocephalia.

Rhynchonella

A genus of brachiopods of which some species are still living, while many are found fossil.

Rhynchophora

A group of Coleoptera having a snoutlike head; the snout beetles, curculios, or weevils.

Rhyolite

A quartzose trachyte, an igneous rock often showing a fluidal structure.

Rhyparography

In ancient art, the painting of genre or still-life pictures.

Rhysimeter

An instrument, acting on the principle of Pitot's tube, for measuring the velocity of a fluid current, the speed of a ship, etc.

Rhythm

In the widest sense, a dividing into short portions by a regular succession of motions, impulses, sounds, accents, etc., producing an agreeable effect, as in music poetry, the dance, or the like.

Rhythmer

One who writes in rhythm, esp. in poetic rhythm or meter.

Rhythmics

The department of musical science which treats of the length of sounds.

Rhythmometer

An instrument for marking time in musical movements. See Metronome.

Rial

A gold coin formerly current in England, of the value of ten shillings sterling in the reign of Henry VI., and of fifteen shillings in the reign of Elizabeth.

Riant

Laughing; laughable; exciting gayety; gay; merry; delightful to the view, as a landscape.

Rib

To furnish with ribs; to form with rising lines and channels; as, to rib cloth.

Ribald

Low; base; mean; filthy; obscene.

Ribaldry

The talk of a ribald; low, vulgar language; indecency; obscenity; lewdness; -- now chiefly applied to indecent language, but formerly, as by Chaucer, also to indecent acts or conduct.

Ribaudequin

An engine of war used in the Middle Ages, consisting of a protected elevated staging on wheels, and armed in front with pikes. It was (after the 14th century) furnished with small cannon.

Ribband

A long, narrow strip of timber bent and bolted longitudinally to the ribs of a vessel, to hold them in position, and give rigidity to the framework.

Ribbed

Furnished or formed with ribs; as, a ribbed cylinder; ribbed cloth.

Ribbing

An assemblage or arrangement of ribs, as the timberwork for the support of an arch or coved ceiling, the veins in the leaves of some plants, ridges in the fabric of cloth, or the like.

Ribbon

To adorn with, or as with, ribbons; to mark with stripes resembling ribbons.

Ribbonism

The principles and practices of the Ribbonmen. See Ribbon Society, under Ribbon.

Ribbonman

A member of the Ribbon Society. See Ribbon Society, under Ribbon.

Ribbonwood

A malvaceous tree (Hoheria populnea) of New Zealand, the bark of which is used for cordage.

Ribes

A genus of shrubs including gooseberries and currants of many kinds.

Ribibe

A sort of stringed instrument; a rebec.

Ribible

A small threestringed viol; a rebec.

Ribwort

A species of plantain (Plantago lanceolata) with long, narrow, ribbed leaves; -- called also rib grass, ripple grass, ribwort plantain.

Rice

A well-known cereal grass (Oryza sativa) and its seed. This plant is extensively cultivated in warm climates, and the grain forms a large portion of the food of the inhabitants. In America it grows chiefly on low, moist land, which can be overflowed.

Rice-shell

Any one of numerous species of small white polished marine shells of the genus Olivella.

Riches

That which makes one rich; an abundance of land, goods, money, or other property; wealth; opulence; affluence.

Richesse

Wealth; riches. See the Note under Riches.

Richness

The quality or state of being rich (in any sense of the adjective).

Richweed

An herb (Pilea pumila) of the Nettle family, having a smooth, juicy, pellucid stem; -- called also clearweed.

Ricinelaidic

Pertaining to, or designating, an isomeric modification of ricinoleic acid obtained as a white crystalline solid.

Ricinelaidin

The glycerin salt of ricinelaidic acid, obtained as a white crystalline waxy substance by treating castor oil with nitrous acid.

Ricinic

Pertaining to, or derived from, castor oil; formerly, designating an acid now called ricinoleic acid.

Ricinine

A bitter white crystalline alkaloid (C8H8N2O2) extracted from the seeds of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communalis). Called also ricidine. Ingestion may cause vomiting and various other toxic reactions, including liver and kidney damage, convulsions, hypotension, and death.

Ricinoleate

A salt of ricinoleic acid; -- formerly called palmate.

Ricinoleic

Pertaining to, or designating, a fatty acid analogous to oleic acid, obtained from castor oil as an oily substance, C18H34O3 with a harsh taste. Formerly written ricinolic and formerly referred to as palmic.

ricinoleic acid

An organic acid (C18H34O3) obtained from the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi) and other species of the family Euphorbiaceae; chemicaly it is d-12-hydroxyoleic acid (CH3(CH2)5.CH(OH).CH2.CH=CH.(CH2)7COOH). Formerly called palmic acid.

Ricinolein

The glycerin salt of ricinoleic acid, occuring as a characteristic constituent of castor oil; -- formerly called palmin.

Ricinus

A genus of plants of the Spurge family, containing but one species (Ricinus communis), the castor-oil plant. The fruit is three-celled, and contains three large seeds from which castor oil is expressed. See Palma Christi.

Rick

To heap up in ricks, as hay, etc.

Ricker

A stout pole for use in making a rick, or for a spar to a boat.

Rickets

A disease which affects children, and which is characterized by a bulky head, crooked spine and limbs, depressed ribs, enlarged and spongy articular epiphyses, tumid abdomen, and short stature, together with clear and often premature mental faculties. The essential cause of the disease appears to be the nondeposition of earthy salts in the osteoid tissues. Children afflicted with this malady stand and walk unsteadily. Called also rachitis.

Rickrack

A kind of openwork edging made of serpentine braid.

Rickstand

A flooring or framework on which a rick is made.

Ricochet

To skip with a rebound or rebounds, as a flat stone on the surface of water, or a cannon ball on the ground. See Ricochet, n.

Rictal

Of or pertaining to the rictus; as, rictal bristles.

Rictus

The gape of the mouth, as of birds; -- often resricted to the corners of the mouth.

Rid

To save; to rescue; to deliver; -- with out of.

Ridable

Suitable for riding; as, a ridable horse; a ridable road.

Riddance

The act of ridding or freeing; deliverance; a cleaning up or out.

Ridder

One who, or that which, rids.

Riddle

To speak ambiguously or enigmatically.

Riddler

One who speaks in, or propounds, riddles.

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