Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RAM'ISH-NESS, n. [from ram.]

Rankness; a strong scent.

RAM'MED, pp. [See Ram.]

Driven forcibly.

RAM'MER, n.

1. One that rams or drives.
2. An instrument for driving any thing with force; as, a rammer for driving stones or piles, or for beating the earth to more solidity.
3. A gun-stick; a ramrod; a rod for forcing down the charge of a gun.

RAM'MING, ppr.

Driving with force.

RAM'MY, a.

Like a ram; strong scented. – Burton.

RA-MOL-LES'CENCE, n. [Fr. ramollir.]

A softening or mollifying. – Caldwell.

RA-MOON', n.

A tree of America.

RA'MOUS, a. [L. ramosus, from ramus, a branch.]

1. In botany, branched, as a stem or root; having lateral divisions. – Martyn.
2. Branchy; consisting of branches; full of branches. – Newton. Woodward.

RAMP, n.¹

A leap; a spring; a bound. – Milton.

RAMP, n.² [Fr. rampe, a flight of steps.]

In architecture, a concave band or slope, in the cap or upper member of any piece of ascending or descending workmanship. Brande.

RAMP, v.i. [Fr. ramper, to creep; It. rampa, a paw; rampare, to paw; rampicare, to creep; W. rhamp, a rise or reach over; rhamant, a rising up, a vaulting or springing; rhamu, to reach over, to soar, to vault. See Ramble and Romance.]

1. To climb, as a plant; to creep up. Plants furnished with tendrils catch hold, and so ramping on trees, they mount to a great highth. – Ray.
2. To spring; to leap; to bound; to prance; to frolic. Their bridles they would champ … / And trampling the fine element, would fiercely ramp. – Spenser. Sporting the lion ramp'd. – Milton. [In the latter sense, the word is usually written and pronounced romp; the word being originally pronounced with a broad.]

RAM-PAL'LIAN, n.

A mean wretch. [Not in use.] – Shak.

RAMP'AN-CY, n. [from rampant.]

Excessive growth or practice; excessive prevalence; exuberance; extravagance; as, the rampancy of vice. South.

RAMP'ANT, a. [Fr. from ramper; Sax. rempend, headlong. See Ramp and Ramble.]

1. Overgrowing the usual bounds; rank in growth; exuberant; as, rampant weeds. – Clarissa.
2. Overleaping restraint; as, rampant vice. – South.
3. In heraldry, a lion rampant is a lion combatant, rearing upon one of his hinder feet, and attacking a man. It differs from saliant, which indicates the posture of springing or making a sally. – Encyc. The lion rampant shakes his brinded mane. – Milton.

RAM'PANT-LY, adv.

In a rampant manner.

RAM'PART, n. [Fr. rempart; Arm. ramparz, ramparzi; Fr. se remparer, to fence or intrench one's self; It. riparamento, from riparare, to repair, to defend, to stop; Port. reparo; reparar, to repair, to parry in defense. Hence we see rampart is from L. reparo; re and paro. See Parry and Repair.]

1. In fortification, an elevation or mound of earth round a place, capable of resisting cannon shot, and formed into bastions, curtains, &c. – Encyc. No standards from the hostile ramparts torn. Prior.
2. That which fortifies and defends from assault; that which secures safety.

RAM'PART, v.t.

To fortify with ramparts. [Not in use.] – Shak.

RAM'PI-ON, n. [from ramp.]

The name of several plants; as, the common esculent rampion, a species of Campanula; the crested rampion, a species of Lobelia; the horned rampion, a species of Phyteuma. Fam. of Plants.

RAMP'IRE, n.

The same as rampart; but seldom used except in poetry. – Dryden. The Trojans round the place a rampire cast. – Dryden.

RAM'PIR-ED, a.

Fortified with a rampart.

RAM'SONS, n.

A plant, a species of Allium. – Fam. of Plants.

RAN, v. [the pret. of Run.]

In old writers, open robbery. – Lambard.

RAN-CES'CENT, a. [L. ranceo, to be rank.]

Becoming rancid or sour. – Encyc.

RANCH, v.t. [corrupted from wrench.]

To sprain; to injure by violent straining or contortion. [Not used.] – Dryden. Garth.

RAN'CID, a. [L. rancidus, from ranceo, to be rank. This is the Eng. rank, luxuriant in growth.]

Having a rank smell; strong scented; sour; musty; as rancid oil. – Arbuthnot.