riot
English
Etymology
From Middle English riot (“debauched living, dissipation”), from Old French riote (“debate”), from rioter (“to quarrel”), perhaps related to riboter or from Latin rugio (“I roar”).
Compare French riotte and Occitan riòta.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪ.ət/
- (weak vowel merger) IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪ.ɪt/
- Rhymes: -aɪət
- Homophone: ryot
Audio (UK) (file)
Noun
riot (countable and uncountable, plural riots)
- A tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by a large group of people, often involving violence or damage to property.
- The protests began peacefully but turned into riots after several days.
- (figurative) A wide and unconstrained variety.
- In summer this flower garden is a riot of colour.
- 1921, Edward Sapir, chapter VII, in Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech:
- The human world is contracting not only prospectively but to the backward-probing eye of culture-history. Nevertheless we are as yet far from able to reduce the riot of spoken languages to a small number of “stocks.”
- (colloquial, uncountable) A humorous or entertaining event or person.
- 1997, Daniel Clowes, “The First Time”, in Ghost World, Jonathan Cape, published 2000, →ISBN, page 34:
- Check this out! We have to get this! I can't believe all this stuff! This is a total riot!
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- Wanton or unrestrained behavior or emotion.
- c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii], page 93:
- For when his head-ſtrong Riot hath no Curbe,
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- (obsolete) Excessive and expensive feasting; wild and loose festivity; revelry.
- 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], OCLC 960856019:
- the lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day
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Derived terms
- riot act, Riot Act
- riot booster, riot boosting
- rioter
- riotous
- riot police
- run riot
Translations
wanton or unrestrained behavior
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tumultuous disturbance of public peace
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excessive and expensive feasting
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
riot (third-person singular simple present riots, present participle rioting, simple past and past participle rioted)
- (intransitive) To create or take part in a riot; to raise an uproar or sedition.
- The nuclear protesters rioted outside the military base.
- (intransitive, obsolete) To act in an unrestrained or wanton manner; to indulge in excess of feasting, luxury, etc.
- 1595, Samuel Daniel, “(please specify the folio number)”, in The First Fowre Bookes of the Ciuile Wars between the Two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke, London: […] P[eter] Short for Simon Waterson, OCLC 28470143:
- Now he exact of all, wastes in delight, / Riots in pleasure, and neglects the law.
- 1717, Alexander Pope, “Eloisa to Abelard”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, OCLC 43265629:
- 1794, Robert Southey, Wat Tyler. A Dramatic Poem. In Three Acts, London: […] [J. M‘Creery] for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, […], published 1817, OCLC 362102, Act I, page 21:
- Think of the insults, wrongs, and contumelies, / Ye bear from your proud lords—that your hard toil / Manures their fertile fields—you plow the earth, / You sow the corn, you reap the ripen'd harvest,— / They riot on the produce!— […]
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- (transitive) To cause to riot; to throw into a tumult.
- (transitive) To annoy.
Translations
to create or take part in a riot
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Further reading
- Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
Anagrams
- Tori, Troi, roti, tiro, tori, trio
Middle English
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman riot, riote, of unknown origin.
Alternative forms
- riaut, riote, ryot, ryote
- ryat, ryaute, ryette, ryott, ryotte, ryout (late)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /riːˈɔːt/, /riːˈuːt/, /ˈriːut/, /ˈriːat/, /ˈriːət/
Noun
riot (plural riotes)
- A riot or uprising; a disturbance of the peace.
- Riotousness, disturbance; lack of peaceableness.
- Debauched living; dissipation or decadence:
- An instance of debauchery or decadence.
- Excessive and wild feasting or festivity; revelry.
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Wyfe of Bathes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868:
- Venus loveth riot and dispense
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
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- (hunting) A situation where a hound is misled by scents other than the quarry.
- (rare) A folk proverb.
- (rare) A group of decadent individuals.
Related terms
- rioten
- riotour
- riotous
Descendants
- English: riot
- Scots: royet, royt
References
- “rīot(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Verb
riot
- Alternative form of rioten