ray
See also: Ray, rày, rầy, ra'y, and -raþ
English
Rays from the sun (1)
Pronunciation
- enPR: rā, IPA(key): /ɹeɪ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -eɪ
Etymology 1
Via Middle English, borrowed from Old French rai, from Latin radius (“staff, stake, spoke”). Doublet of radius.
Noun
ray (plural rays)
- A beam of light or radiation.
- I saw a ray of light through the clouds.
- (zoology) A rib-like reinforcement of bone or cartilage in a fish's fin.
- (zoology) One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.
- (botany) A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, such as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius.
- (obsolete) Sight; perception; vision; from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.
- 1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, OCLC 1033416756:
- All eyes direct their rays / On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze.
- (mathematics) A line extending indefinitely in one direction from a point.
- (colloquial) A tiny amount.
- Unfortunately he didn't have a ray of hope.
Hyponyms
- beta ray
- cathode ray
- death ray
- derma ray
- gamma ray
- grenz ray
- N-ray
- T-ray
- X-ray
Derived terms
Terms derived from ray
- anticrepuscular ray
- Becquerel calorific ray
- catch some rays
- cosmic ray
- crepuscular ray
- Lenard ray
- lightray
- medullary ray
- meridional ray
- number ray
- ray
- ray casting
- ray grass
- ray gun
- raying room
- rayless
- raylet
- raylike
- ray marching
- ray of hope
- ray of light
- ray of sunshine
- ray tracer
- ray tracing
- starry ray
- X-ray
Translations
beam of light or radiation
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reinforcing in a fish's fin
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mathematics: line extending indefinitely in one direction from a point
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colloquial: tiny amount
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Verb
ray (third-person singular simple present rays, present participle raying, simple past and past participle rayed)
- (transitive) To emit something as if in rays.
- 1889, Robert Browning, letter to Dr. Furnivall
- I had no particular woman in my mind; certainly never intended to personify wisdom, philosophy, or any other abstraction; and the orb, raying colour out of whiteness, was altogether a fancy of my own.
- 1889, Robert Browning, letter to Dr. Furnivall
- (intransitive) To radiate as if in rays.
- (transitive) To expose to radiation.
- 1928, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (page 219)
- Rats' eyes with ulcus serpens were successfully treated; one second of raying stopped the progress of the ulcer, which healed uninterruptedly.
- 1928, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (page 219)
Translations
to emit something as if in rays, to radiate as if in rays
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Etymology 2
From Middle English raye, rayȝe, from Old French raie, from Latin raia, of uncertain origin. Compare Middle English reyhhe, reihe, reȝge (“ray, skate”), from Old English reohhe (“ray”).
Noun
ray (plural rays)
- A marine fish with a flat body, large wing-like fins, and a whip-like tail.
Derived terms
- butterfly ray
- cownose ray
- devil ray
- eagle ray
- electric ray
- manta ray
- ray-finned
- spotted eagle ray
- stingray
Translations
marine fish with a flat body, large wing-like fins, and a whip-like tail
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Etymology 3
Shortened from array.
Verb
ray (third-person singular simple present rays, present participle raying, simple past and past participle rayed)
- (obsolete) To arrange. [14th–18th c.]
- (now rare) To dress, array (someone). [from 14th c.]
- (obsolete) To stain or soil; to defile. [16th–19th c.]
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:
- From his soft eyes the teares he wypt away, / And from his face the filth that did it ray […] .
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Noun
ray (uncountable)
- (obsolete) Array; order; arrangement; dress.
- 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, stanza 50:
- spoyling all her geares and goodly ray
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Etymology 4
From its sound, by analogy with the letters chay, jay, gay, kay, which it resembles graphically.
Noun
ray (plural rays)
- The letter ⟨/⟩, one of two which represent the r sound in Pitman shorthand.
Related terms
- ar, in Latin and the name of the other Pitman r
Etymology 5
Alternative forms.
Noun
ray (plural rays)
- (music) Alternative form of re
Anagrams
- -ary, Ary, Ayr, RYA, ary, ayr, rya, yar
Ainu
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɾaj/
Verb
ray (Kana spelling ラィ)
- (intransitive) to die
Derived terms
- rayke (“to kill”)
Bikol Central
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɾai/, [ɾaɪ̯]
Noun
ray
- Clipping of rahay.
Buhi'non Bikol
Noun
ray
- good
Derived terms
- maray
Northern Kurdish
Etymology
From Arabic رَأْي (raʾy).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rɑːj/
Noun
ray ?
- opinion
Turkish
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish رای, from French rail.
Noun
ray (definite accusative rayı, plural raylar)
- rail
References
- Avery, Robert et al., editors (2013) The Redhouse Dictionary Turkish/Ottoman English, 21st edition, Istanbul: Sev Yayıncılık, →ISBN