Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RAC-COON', n.

An American quadruped, the Procyon lotor, a carnivorous mammal. It is somewhat larger than a fox, and its fur is deemed valuable, next to that of the beaver. This animal lodges in a hollow tree, feeds occasionally on vegetables, and its flesh is palatable food. It inhabits North America, from Canada to the tropics. Belknap. Dict. Nat. Hist.

RACE, n.¹ [Fr. race, from the It. razza; Sp. raza, a race, a ray, and raiz, a root, L. radix; Russ. rod, a generation, race; roju, to beget. The primary sense of the root is to thrust a shoot; the L. radix and radius having the same original. This word coincides in origin with rod, ray, radiate, &c. Class Rd.]

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, &c. Hence the long race of Alban fathers come. Dryden.
2. A generation; a family of descendants. A rare of youthful and unhandled colts. Shak.
3. A particular breed; as, a race of mules; a race of horses; a race of sheep. Chapman. Of such a race, no matter who is king. Murphy.
4. A root; as, race-ginger, ginger in the root or not pulverized.
5. A small artificial canal or water course, leading from the dam of a stream, to the machinery which it drives; sometimes called the head-race, in opposition to the tail-race.
6. A particular strength or taste of wine; a kind of tartness. [Query, does this belong to this root or to the following?] Temple. Massenger. Tail-race, the water course leading from the bottom of a water-wheel.

RACE, n.² [D. ras; Sw. resa, to go; Dan. rejse, a going or course; L. gradior, gressus, with the prefix g; Ir. ratha, a running; reatham, to run; W. graz, a step, from rhaz, a going; allied to W. rhêd, a race; rhedu, to run, to race; allied to Eng. ride. See Class Rd, No. 5, and 9.]

1. A running; a rapid course or motion, either on the feet, on horseback or in a carriage, &c.; particularly, a contest in running; a running in competition for a prize. The race was one of the exercises of the Grecian games. Encyc. I wield the gauntlet and I run the race. Pope.
2. Any running with speed. The flight of many birds is swifter than the race of any beast. Bacon.
3. A progress; a course; a movement or progression of any kind. My race of glory run. Pope. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Heb. xii.
4. Course; train; process; as, the prosecution and race of the war. [Not now used.] Bacon.
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.

RACE-GIN'GER, n.

Ginger in the root or not pulverized.

RACE'-HORSE, n.

A horse bred or kept for running in contest; a horse that runs in competition. Addison.

RAC-E-MA'TION, n. [L. racemus, a cluster.]

1. A cluster, as of grapes. Brown.
2. The cultivation of clusters of grapes. Burnet.

RA'CEME, n. [L. racemus, a bunch of berries.]

In botany, a species of inflorescence, consisting of a common peduncle with short and equal lateral pedicels; as a string of currants. It is simple or compound, naked or leafy, &c. A species of inflorescence in which a number of flowers with short and equal pedicels, stand upon a common slender axis. Lindley.

RA'CEM-ED, a.

Having a raceme.

RA-CE'MIC-AC'ID, n. [RA-CE'MIC AC'ID.]

An acid found in the tartar obtained from certain vineyards on the Rhine.

RAC-E-MIF'ER-OUS, a. [L. racemus, a cluster, and fero, to bear.]

Bearing racemes, as the currant. Asiat. Res.

RAC'E-MOUS, a.

Growing in racemes. Encyc.

RA'CER, n. [from race.]

A runner; one that contends in a race. And bade the nimblest racer seize the prize. Pope.

RACH, n. [Sax. ræcc; D. brak; Fr. braque.]

A setting dog.

RA-CHIL'LA, n. [Gr. ραχις, a spine.]

A branch of inflorescence; the zigzag center on which the florets are arranged in the spikelets of grasses.

RA'CHIS, n. [Gr.]

In botany, a peduncle that proceeds in a right line from the base to the apex of the inflorescence. This term is sometimes applied to the stipe of a fern, but not properly. Lindley.

RA-CHIT'IC, a.

Pertaining to the muscles of the back; rickety.

RA-CHI'TIS, n. [Gr.]

This term implies inflammation of the spine, but it is applied to the disease called Rickets, which is a mere corruption of rachitis.

RA'CI-NESS, n. [See Racy.]

The quality of being racy.

RA'CING, ppr.

Running swiftly; running or contending in a race.

RACK, n.¹ [D. rek, rack, stretch; rekker, to stretch; Sax. racan, ræcan, Eng. to reach; G. recken, to stretch; reckbank, a rack. See Reach and Break. Class Rg, No. 18, 21, 33.]

1. An engine of torture, used for extorting confessions from criminals or suspected persons. The rack is entirely unknown in free countries.
2. Torture; extreme pain; anguish. A fit of the stone puts king to the rack and makes him as miserable as it does the meanest subject. Temple.
3. Any instrument for stretching or extending any thing; as, a rack for bending a bow. Temple.
4. A grate on which bacon is laid.
5. A wooden frame of open work in which hay is laid for horses and cattle for feeding.
6. The frame of bones of an animal; a skeleton. We say, a rack of bones.
7. A frame of timber on a ship's bowsprit. Mar. Dict.

RACK, n.² [Sax. hracca, the neck; Gr. ῥαχις, the spine; W. rhac; D. kraag, G. kragen, Sw. and Dan. krage, a collar; Old Eng. crag.]

The neck and spine of a fore quarter of veal or mutton. [The two foregoing words are doubtless from one original.]

RACK, n.³ [Sax. rec, steam; recan, to exhale; D. rook, rooken; G. rauch, rauchen; Sw. rök, röka; Dan, rog, roger. See Reek.]

Properly, vapor; hence, thin flying broken clouds, or portion of floating vapor in the sky. The winds in the upper region, which move the clouds above, which we call the rack. Bacon. The great globe itself, / Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, / And, like this unsubstantial pageant, faded, / Leave not a rack behind. Shak. It is disputed, however, whether rack in this passage should not be wreck.

RACK, n.⁴ [for arrack. See Arrack.]

Among the Tartars, a spirituous liquor made of mare's milk which has become sour and is then distilled. Encyc.

RACK, n.⁵

In machinery, a rectilineal sliding piece, with teeth cut on its edge for working with a wheel.