Chapter Racemed to Radeau of R by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Rackety
(Rack"et*y) a. Making a tumultuous noise.

Racking
(Rack"ing), n. (Naut.) Spun yarn used in racking ropes.

Rack-rent
(Rack"-rent`) n. A rent of the full annual value of the tenement, or near it; an excessive or unreasonably high rent. Blackstone.

Rack-rent
(Rack"-rent`), v. t. To subject to rack-rent, as a farm or tenant.

Rack-renter
(Rack"-rent`er) n.

1. One who is subjected to paying rack- rent.

2. One who exacts rack-rent.

Racktail
(Rack"tail`) n. (Horol.) An arm attached to a swinging notched arc or rack, to let off the striking mechanism of a repeating clock.

Rackwork
(Rack"work`) n. Any mechanism having a rack, as a rack and pinion.

Racle
(Ra"cle) a. See Rakel. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Racleness
(Ra"cle*ness), n. See Rakelness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Raconteur
(||Ra`con`teur") n. [F.] A relater; a storyteller.

Racoonda
(||Ra*coon"da) n. [From a native name.] (Zoöl.) The coypu.

Racovian
(Ra*co"vi*an) n. [From Racow.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Socinians or Unitarians in Poland.

Racquet
(Rac"quet) n. See Racket.

Racy
(Ra"cy) a. [Compar. Racier (-si*er); superl. Raciest.] [From Race a tribe, family.]

1. Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh; rich.

The racy wine,
Late from the mellowing cask restored to light.

Pope.

2. Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and piquant; fresh and lively.

Our raciest, most idiomatic popular words.

M. Arnold.

Burns's English, though not so racy as his Scotch, is generally correct.

H. Coleridge.

The rich and racy humor of a natural converser fresh from the plow.

Prof. Wilson.

Syn. — Spicy; spirited; lively; smart; piquant. — Racy, Spicy. Racy refers primarily to that peculiar flavor which certain wines are supposed to derive from the soil in which the grapes were grown; and hence we call a style or production racy when it "smacks of the soil," or has an uncommon degree of natural freshness and distinctiveness of thought and language. Spicy, when applied to style, has reference to a spirit and pungency added by art, seasoning the matter like a condiment. It does not, like racy, suggest native peculiarity. A spicy article in a magazine; a spicy retort. Racy in conversation; a racy remark.

Rich, racy verses, in which we
The soil from which they come, taste, smell, and see.

Cowley.