|
2. (Chem.) The mutual or reciprocal action of chemical agents upon each other, or the action upon
such chemical agents of some form of energy, as heat, light, or electricity, resulting in a chemical change
in one or more of these agents, with the production of new compounds or the manifestation of distinctive
characters. See Blowpipe reaction, Flame reaction, under Blowpipe, and Flame.
3. (Med.) An action induced by vital resistance to some other action; depression or exhaustion of vital
force consequent on overexertion or overstimulation; heightened activity and overaction succeeding depression
or shock.
4. (Mech.) The force which a body subjected to the action of a force from another body exerts upon
the latter body in the opposite direction.
Reaction is always equal and opposite to action, that is to say, the actions of two bodies upon each
other are always equal and in opposite directions. Sir I. Newton (3d Law of Motion). 5. (Politics) Backward tendency or movement after revolution, reform, or great progress in any direction.
The new king had, at the very moment at which his fame and fortune reached the highest point, predicted
the coming reaction. Macaulay. Reaction time (Physiol.), in nerve physiology, the interval between the application of a stimulus to
an end organ of sense and the reaction or resulting movement; — called also physiological time. —
Reaction wheel (Mech.), a water wheel driven by the reaction of water, usually one in which the
water, entering it centrally, escapes at its periphery in a direction opposed to that of its motion by orifices
at right angles, or inclined, to its radii.
Reactionary
(Re*ac"tion*a*ry) a. Being, causing, or favoring reaction; as, reactionary movements.
Reactionary
(Re*ac"tion*a*ry), n.; pl. Reactionaries One who favors reaction, or seeks to undo political
progress or revolution.
Reactionist
(Re*ac"tion*ist), n. A reactionary. C. Kingsley.
Reactive
(Re*act"ive) a. [Cf. F. réactif.] Having power to react; tending to reaction; of the nature of reaction.
— Re*act"ive*ly, adv. — Re*act"ive*ness, n.
Read
(Read) n. Rennet. See 3d Reed. [Prov. Eng.]
Read
(Read) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Read (red); p. pr. & vb. n. Reading.] [OE. reden, ræden, AS. r&aemacrdan
to read, advise, counsel, fr. r&aemacrd advice, counsel, r&aemacrdan (imperf. reord) to advise, counsel,
guess; akin to D. raden to advise, G. raten, rathen, Icel. raða, Goth. redan and perh. also to Skr.
radh to succeed. &radic116. Cf. Riddle.]
1. To advise; to counsel. [Obs.] See Rede.
Therefore, I read thee, get thee to God's word, and thereby try all doctrine. Tyndale. 2. To interpret; to explain; as, to read a riddle.
3. To tell; to declare; to recite. [Obs.]
But read how art thou named, and of what kin. Spenser. 4. To go over, as characters or words, and utter aloud, or recite to one's self inaudibly; to take in the
sense of, as of language, by interpreting the characters with which it is expressed; to peruse; as, to read
|
