Rapier fish(Zoöl.), the swordfish. [Obs.] Grew.

Rapiered
(Ra"pi*ered) a. Wearing a rapier. "Scarletcoated, rapiered figures." Lowell.

Rapilli
(||Ra*pil"li) n. pl. [It.] (Min.) Lapilli.

Raphaelesque
(Raph`a*el*esque") a. Like Raphael's works; in Raphael's manner of painting.

Raphaelism
(Raph"a*el*ism) n. The principles of painting introduced by Raphael, the Italian painter.

Raphaelite
(Raph"a*el*ite) n. One who advocates or adopts the principles of Raphaelism.

Raphany
(Raph"a*ny) n. [Cf. F. raphanie.] (Med.) A convulsive disease, attended with ravenous hunger, not uncommon in Sweden and Germany. It was so called because supposed to be caused by eating corn with which seeds of jointed charlock (Raphanus raphanistrum) had been mixed, but the condition is now known to be a form of ergotism.

Raphe
(Ra"phe) n. [NL., fr. Gr. "rafh` a seam or suture, fr. "ra`ptein to sew or stitch together.]

1. (Anat.) A line, ridge, furrow, or band of fibers, especially in the median line; as, the raphe of the tongue.

2. (Bot.) Same as Rhaphe.

Raphides
(||Raph"i*des) n. pl. [F. raphide.] (Bot.) See Rhaphides.

Rapid
(Rap"id) a. [L. rapidus, fr. rapere to seize and carry off, to snatch or hurry away; perhaps akin to Gr. 'arpa`zein: cf. F. rapide. Cf. Harpy, Ravish.]

1. Very swift or quick; moving with celerity; fast; as, a rapid stream; a rapid flight; a rapid motion.

Ascend my chariot; guide the rapid wheels.
Milton.

2. Advancing with haste or speed; speedy in progression; in quick sequence; as, rapid growth; rapid improvement; rapid recurrence; rapid succession.

3. Quick in execution; as, a rapid penman.

Rapid
(Rap"id), n. [Cf. F. rapide. See Rapid, a.] The part of a river where the current moves with great swiftness, but without actual waterfall or cascade; — usually in the plural; as, the Lachine rapids in the St. Lawrence.

Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast,
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past.
Moore.

Rapidity
(Ra*pid"i*ty) n. [L. rapiditas: cf. F. rapidité.] The quality or state of being rapid; swiftness; celerity; velocity; as, the rapidity of a current; rapidity of speech; rapidity of growth or improvement.

Syn. — Rapidness; haste; speed; celerity; velocity; swiftness; fleetness; quickness; agility.

Rapidly
(Rap"id*ly) adv. In a rapid manner.

Rapidness
(Rap"id*ness), n. Quality of being rapid; rapidity.

Rapier
(Ra"pi*er) n. [F. rapière, perhaps for raspière, and ultimately of German origin, akin to E. rasp, v.] A straight sword, with a narrow and finely pointed blade, used only for thrusting.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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