RATHEREST

RATHER

Rath"er, a. Etym: [Compar. of Rath, a.]

Definition: Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.] Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. Sir J. Mandeville.

Rath"er, adv. Etym: [AS. hrathor, compar. of hrathe, hræ\'ebe, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a.]

1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.] Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. Chaucer. A good mean to come the rather to grace. Foxe.

2. More readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. Job vii. 15.

3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26.

4. Of two alternatives conceived of, by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat. He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain, And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain. Dryden.

5. More properly; more correctly speaking. This is an art Which does mend nature, change it rather, but The art itself is nature. Shak.

6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the house is rather damp. The rather, the more so; especially; for better reason; for particular cause. You are come to me in happy time, The rather for I have some sport in hand. Shak.

– Had rather, or Would rather, prefer to; prefers to; as, he had, or would, rather go than stay. "I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousands words in an unknown tongue." 1 Cor. xiv. 19. See Had rather, under Had.

RATH

Rath, n. Etym: [Ir. rath.]

1. A hill or mound. [Ireland] Spencer.

2. A kind of ancient fortification found in Ireland.

Rath, Rathe, a. Etym: [AS. hræ\'eb, hræd, quick, akin to OHG. hrad, Icel. hrathr.]

Definition: Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. [Obs. or Poetic] Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies. Milton.

Rath, Rathe, adv.

Definition: Early; soon; betimes. [Obs. or Poetic] Why rise ye up so rathe Chaucer. Too rathe cut off by practice criminal. Spencer.

RATHE

Rath, Rathe, a. Etym: [AS. hræ\'eb, hræd, quick, akin to OHG. hrad, Icel. hrathr.]

Definition: Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. [Obs. or Poetic] Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies. Milton.

Rath, Rathe, adv.

Definition: Early; soon; betimes. [Obs. or Poetic] Why rise ye up so rathe Chaucer. Too rathe cut off by practice criminal. Spencer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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