Confusing Words Clarified: Group R; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(lists of "R" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)
If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.
2. To cut a groove in the surface of an item: "To rabbet the piece of fine mahogany requires patience, care, and the proper tools."
2. The pelt or skin of such an animal: "My new cloak is made of soft rabbit fur."
3. A member of a track team who sets the running pace for other team mates as part of a long distance run: "My cousin trained to be the rabbit for the cross country racing team."
"She became almost rabid in her defense of her pet rabbit’s chewing behavior when visiting her friend."
2. Affected with rabies: "We were fearful of a rabid dog that was running around in the neighborhood."As he was taking a break from making the rabbet for the piece of furniture he was constructing, the joiner noticed a rabbit being chased by what seemed to be a rabid dog.
2. An iron bar, usually with a bent end, used to rake, to stir, or to puddle melted iron: "At the smelter, the worker using the rabble to rake the melted iron requires extensive training."
3. To stir or to mix something by using an iron bar: "He tried to rabble the melted iron but it was not hot enough."
2. Worn or broken stones, etc. that are used as filling in the construction of walls: "The stone mason saved the rubble from his work to be used later when the wall was built."
3. Unfinished stone from a quarry: "The sculptor used the rough piece of rubble from the quarry to carve a beautiful statue."
At the construction site, the worker used a rubber handled rabble to break up the cement into rubble which was considered rubbish. The worker was paid with ruble currency which was put directly into his bank account.
2. A contest of speed based on a set course and specific time frame: "The cross country race was set to begin this afternoon and the runners would pass through both flat land and hills before returning to the starting gate."
3. A rivalry or contest between two or more groups with the goal of winning something; such as, a pennant: "The two colleges participated in an annual race for the pennant and the prize money."
4. A track or groove through which something slides or rolls: "The ball bearings rolled down the race and into the gear box for the car."
5. To run or participate in a competition based on speed and timing: "The team decided to race in spite of the mist and cold weather."
6. To move at maximum speed: "My cousin will race his car around the track in hopes of breaking the speed record."
2. A grouping of people sharing traits that are passed on through generations and whose traits have become distinctive to that group: "Typically the Aboriginal race in North America has darker hair than Europeans."
The descendants of an ancient race scheduled a race down the race of the local river.
2. An instrument or tool designed for torture so as to cause extreme pain: "The museum had an example of a rack that was used for torture during the Middle Ages."
3. The manger for holding food for livestock: "The rack was filled with fresh hay for the cattle."
4. A net or framework to be placed in a river to catch fish or floating matter: "The forester installed the rack in the polluted stream in hopes of gathering up the flotsam that was floating in the river."
5. Antlers, typically in sets of two, from such animals as moose: "There was a fine rack of antlers displayed in the museum of wild life from the park."
2. Seaweed or kelp: "We watched the people of the seaside village harvest wrack and sell it as a crop."
"Once I had some wrack pie, an experience I never want to repeat."
3. To ruin or to destroy completely: "With the loss of the livestock, the farmer felt he was on the road to wrack and ruin."To stave off total wrack and ruin, the local people collected wrack to sell to the local dairy. In addition, they planned to design an artistic rack resembling the rack for cattle to be used to hold magazines.
2. An illegal scheme or enterprise involving fraud: "He was a member of a criminal racket."
3. Light weight sports equipment consisting of a handle at one end and a net of thread or gut in an oval shape at the other end which is typically used to bat a tennis ball or a badminton shuttlecock back and forth with an opponent: "I use an aluminum racket which has helped improve my tennis game considerably."
Please stop the racket, I am trying to concentrate on the racquet game on TV.
There are those who say tennis is nothing more than a racket (with a ball) and as far as the players are concerned, love means nothing.
2. A sudden invasion or daring operation typically carried out by officers of the law against suspected criminals or wrong doers: "The police captain led the raid against the river pirates and captured the leader."
3. The recruitment by a company or business of personnel from a competitor: "The personnel officer staged a corporate raid of senior employees from a competing company."
4. To swindle public funds; an attempt to depress the stock market by selling off a lot of stock: "The corrupt town treasurer attempted to raid the treasury and to defraud the townspeople."
"The bank managers were manipulating the stock market by deciding to raid their bank stock."
2. To have extended outward from a central focus: "In her primitive drawing, she drew yellow lines showing how the light rayed from the sun towards the earth."
3. To have been exposed to or placed in the path of radiation: "The scientist was very upset because the box of specimens had accidentally been rayed by an unskilled technician."
The activities of the illegal gang had rayed into the corporate world where there was a scheme to raid public funds.
Their activities were curtailed when the police scheduled a raid. The criminals protested saying that they were only planning a corporate raid in order to recruit new members.
2. The fencing for a racetrack: "The crowd pressed against the rail during the excitement of the race."
3. A pole extending between two posts and whose function is to create a barrier: "The new rail at the gate was painted bright red."
2. A system of traveling by train: "They have to travel back and forth from their town to the city by rail every working day."
2. To use harsh or abusive language: "We could hear the actress rail against the director even though we were not in the room."
3. To install fencing: "The project of the day was to rail the corral for the horses that were being delivered next week."
Don't rail at me because the rail at the racetrack is broken; instead, why not form a committee and rail a more secure rail. The committee agreed and returned to the city by rail.
2. Drops of water formed by the condensation of vapor and which falls from the atmosphere: "As we stood by the window, we watched the rain begin to fall on the lawn."
"It started to rain before we could put up our umbrellas."
2. To possess a position of presumed authority, often without much actual political influence or power: "She will reign as consort until her son is old enough to be the king."
3. To be prevalent or commonly occurring: "At the end of the school year, the reign of confusion was wide spread as the students cleaned their lockers and said goodbye to their friends and teachers."
2. Unhampered opportunity: "She was given free rein in planning the party for the end of the year."
3. The strap which is fastened to the bit in an animal's mouth and by which the animal is controlled or directed: "She held each rein for her horse in her right hand as she mounted it."
4. To stop or to slow oneself or an animal: "He had to rein in his enthusiasm for the new book because he was about to bore all his friends."
You may want to rein in your enthusiasm at the start of the reign for the new ruler. Your spirits might be dampened with the prediction of rain; however, the start of a new reign may be the signal to rain the new ruler with gifts, including a rein for is favorite horse.
2. The downpour of water from clouds: "It rains at least three times a week in the rain forest."
2. To exert power or management of an institution or place: "She reigns supreme in her kitchen."
2. The straps attached to the bit placed in the mouth of animals for the purpose of guiding or restraining them: "She holds the reins loosely in her hands while she is driving the team and wagon."
When you have spoken the word, it reigns over you. When it is unspoken, you reign over it.
Throughout the reigns of the great lords, the members of parliament have held the reins of power and a sense of peace and security rains throughout the land.
2. To elevate in terms of status or position: "The promotion will raise my colleague to a managerial position at the factory."
3. An increase in the amount of money paid for a task or undertaking: "With her new position, my friend asked for a raise in her salary."
4. To enhance or to invigorate: "Such a sunny day will raise her spirits."
5. The process by which funds are collected for an undertaking: "We hope to raise a large sum of money to contribute to the children's charity."
6. To bring an animal or child to maturity: "There is a saying which indicates that it takes a village to raise a child."
7. To question or to bring forth a topic for discussion or debate: "He said he would raise the question of new prices for bus tickets at the next board meeting."
8. To cause the creation of a blister or sore: "If I do not wear gloves when I rake leaves, the friction will raise blisters on my hands."
9. To increase the bid or offer on something: "At the auction, the auctioneer attempted to raise the bids on the priceless piece of silver."
10. To increase or to cause the elevation of the level or baseline of something: "The heavy rains will raise the level of the river."
"The landlord told her that he was going to raise her rent significantly next year."
2. Beams of light: "The sun rays shined through the window illuminating the room and making it feel warm and comfortable."
3. Lines drawn from a common center: "She depicted the sun by drawing several rays emanating from the round yellow circle in the corner of her picture."
"The carver used a small knife to raze the surface of the block of wood he was working on so he could make an ornament."
They had to raze the old building and build a new one before the sun’s rays wouldn't raise the temperatures so much.
A landlord told his tenant, "I'm afraid I will have to raise your rent." The renter responded by saying, "I wish you would; I'm sure I can't raise it."
"The crane raised the box from the floor to the shipping dock."
2. To have collected funds in support of an undertaking: "She was surprised to realize that she had raised enough money for her trip by selling her homemade cookies at the Farmers' Market."3. To have cultivated, to have influenced, or to have brought an individual to a point of maturity: "She raised her son to love books and to use the library regularly."
"Listening to the radio broadcasts of opera every weekend raised her interest in this style of singing and she bought tickets often to attend her favorite presentations."
4. To have created a sore or blister: "I raised a blister on my foot because my shoes were too tight."
5. To have caused an increase in the cost of something: "The merchant raised the price of the carpet when he realized that the tourist was interested in buying it."
6. To have caused the elevation or base level of something: "She raised her test performance scores significantly by studying every day after school."
He raised his eyebrows in astonishment at the equipment the crew used as the old building was razed to the ground. He thought the Committee to Save the Old Building had raised sufficient funds to protect it; however, inflation seemed to have raised the costs for everything.
2. The angle between the cutting edge of a tool and a plane perpendicular to the working surface to which the tool is applied: "The blacksmith repaired the broken rake so the farmer could complete his chores."
The old rake used a rake to rake the lawn.
2. To reassemble and to restore to order: "As the deadline approached, the Captain worked to rally the troops before the next attack."
3. To rouse or to revive from inactivity or decline: "We were hoping that our team would rally in the fourth quarter and win the game."
2. An increase in price or value after a decrease in such values: "The stock prices improved after the U.S. dollar's rally in today's trading."
The call went out over the internet and twitter to rally all the students at the rally tomorrow. We want to rally the students from their apathy which has resulted from the high cost of tuition.
2. A mobile staircase by which passengers board and leave an aircraft: "The airline steward stood at the base of the ramp, assisting the passengers as they departed from the plane."
3. A concave bend of a handrail where a sharp change in level or direction occurs; such as, at a stair landing: "She held onto the ramp as she went down the stairs to make sure that she wouldn't fall."
"The company will simply have to ramp up production in order to complete the orders."
2. To complain in a way that is unreasonable: "Just about every day we had to listen to his rant about the evils of the auto industry."
Sometimes a rant can achieve a purpose. His aunt used to rant about the lack of a ramp at the doctor's office; now, not only is there a ramp for her wheelchair, but also a ramp for her to hang onto.
"The teacher delivered a rap on his knuckles because he tried to blame his friend for the broken window."
2. A criminal charge or adverse consequence for an action: "He took the rap for having been involved in the hold up at the gas station."3. To make a short, abrupt sound: "He would often rap his baton on the music stand so he could get the attention of the orchestra players."
4. The least or minimum interest: "He does not care a rap about the rock concert that is coming to town next week."
2. To perform rap music or a rap song: "He plans to rap with the band tonight."
2. To embrace or to encircle: "She tried to wrap her little cousin in a big hug but the child ran away to play."
3. To put on a piece of clothing: "She would wrap herself in the heavy jacket before going outside into the cold."
4. To enfold, to bundle, or to conceal: "They will wrap the delicate china in many layers of paper before putting it in a box."
She bought a recording of rap music to send to a friend. Although she doesn't usually care a rap for it, she will wrap and mail it to him next week.
Confusing Words: Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs; explained and demonstrated.
Confusing Words: Units, Groups A to Z.
Confusing Words: Vocabulary Quizzes Listed.
