Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RID'ER-LESS, a.

Having no rider.

RIDGE, n. [Sax. rig, ricg, hric, hricg, the back; Sw. rygg; D. rug; G. rücken; Ice. hriggur. The Welsh has rhig, a notch or groove, and rhyç, a trench or furrow between ridges. The Dutch has reeks, a ridge, chain or series, and the Dan. rekke is a row, rank, range, a file, and a ridge, from the root of rekker, to reach. If connected with the latter word, the primary sense is to draw or stretch, L. rugo.]

1. The back or top of the back. – Hudibras.
2. A long or continued range of hills or mountains; or the upper part of such a range. We say, a long ridge of hills, or the highest ridge. – Milton. Ray.
3. A steep elevation, eminence or protuberance. Part rise in crystal wall, or ridge direct. – Milton.
4. A long rising land, or a strip of ground thrown up by a plow or left between furrows. – Ps. lxv. Mortimer.
5. The top of the roof of a building. – Moxon.
6. Any long elevation of land.
7. Ridges of a horse's mouth, are wrinkles or risings of flesh in the roof of the mouth. – Far. Dict.

RIDGE, v.t.

1. To form a ridge; as, bristles that ridge the back of a boar. – Milton.
2. In tillage, to form into ridges with the plow. The farmers in Connecticut ridge their land for maiz, leaving a balk between two ridges.
3. To wrinkle. – Cowper.

RIDG'ED, pp.

Formed into a ridge; wrinkled.

RIDG'IL, or RIDG'LING, n.

The male of any beast half gelt. – Encyc.

RIDG'ING, ppr.

Forming into a ridge; wrinkling.

RIDG'Y, a.

Having a ridge or ridges; rising in a ridge. – Dryden.

RID'I-CULE, a.

Ridiculous. [Not in use.]

RID'I-CULE, n. [Fr. from L. ridiculum, from rideo, to laugh or laugh at; Fr. rider, to wrinkle, to bend the brow; Arm. redenna.]

1. Contemptuous laughter; laughter with some degree of contempt; derision. It expresses less than scorn. Ridicule is aimed at what is not only laughable, but improper, absurd or despicable. Sacred subjects should never be treated with ridicule. [See Ludicrous.] Ridicule is too rough an entertainment for the polished and refined. It is banished from France, and is losing ground in England. – Kames.
2. That species of writing which excites contempt with laughter. It differs from burlesque, which may excite laughter without contempt, or it may provoke derision. – Ibid. Ridicule and derision are not exactly the same, as derision is applied to persons only, and ridicule to persons or things. We deride the man, but ridicule the man or his performances.

RID'I-CULE, v.t.

1. To laugh at with expressions of contempt; to deride.
2. To treat with contemptuous merriment; to expose to contempt or derision by writing.

RID'I-CUL-ED, pp.

Treated with laughter and contempt; derided.

RID'I-CU-LER, n.

One that ridicules. – Chesterfield.

RID'I-CUL-ING, ppr.

Laughing at in contempt; exposing to contempt and derision.

RI-DIC'U-LOUS, a. [L. ridiculus; It. ridicoloso.]

That may justly excite laughter with contempt; as, a ridiculous dress; ridiculous behavior. A fop and a dandy are ridiculous in their dress.

RI-DIC'U-LOUS-LY, adv.

In a manner worthy of contemptuous merriment; as, a man ridiculously vain.

RI-DIC'U-LOUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being ridiculous; as, the ridiculousness of worshiping idols.

RID'ING, n.

1. A road cut in a wood or through a ground, for the diversion of riding therein. – Sidney. Encyc.
2. [corrupted from trithing, third.] One of the three intermediate jurisdictions between a three and a hundred, into which the county of York, in England, is divided, anciently under the government of a reeve. – Blackstone.

RID-ING, ppr. [from ride.]

1. Passing or traveling on a beast or in a vehicle; floating.
2. adj. Employed to travel on any occasion. No suffragan bishop shall have more than one riding apparitor. – Ayliffe.

RID'ING-CLERK, n.

In England, one of the six clerks in chancery. – Ash.

RID'ING-COAT, n.

A coat for riding on a journey. – Swift.

RID'ING-HAB-IT, n.

A garment worn by females when they ride or travel. – Guardian.

RID'ING-HOOD, n.

A hood used by females when they ride; a kind of cloke with a hood.

RID'ING-SCHOOL, n.

A school or place where the art of riding is taught. It may, in some places, be called a riding-house.

RI-DOT'TO, n. [It. from L. reductus.]

1. A public assembly.
2. A musical entertainment consisting of singing and dancing, in the latter of which the whole company join. – Busby.

RIE, n. [See RYE.]