3. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control.
Obey them that have the rule over you.
Heb. xiii. 17.
His stern rule the groaning land obeyed.
Pope. 4. (Law) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action
or a suit. Wharton.
5. (Math.) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain
result; as, a rule for extracting the cube root.
6. (Gram.) A general principle concerning the formation or use of words, or a concise statement thereof; thus,
it is a rule in England, that s or es , added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that
noun; but "man" forms its plural "men", and is an exception to the rule.
7. (a) A straight strip of wood, metal, or the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line; a
ruler. (b) A measuring instrument consisting of a graduated bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which
is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded
compactly.
A judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule.
South. 8. (Print.) (a) A thin plate of metal (usually brass) of the same height as the type, and used for printing
lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work. (b) A composing rule. See under
Conposing.
As a rule, as a general thing; in the main; usually; as, he behaves well, as a rule. — Board rule, Caliber
rule, etc. See under Board, Caliber, etc. — Rule joint, a knuckle joint having shoulders that abut
when the connected pieces come in line with each other, and thus permit folding in one direction only.
— Rule of three (Arith.), that rule which directs, when three terms are given, how to find a fourth,
which shall have the same ratio to the third term as the second has to the first; proportion. See Proportion,
5 (b). — Rule of thumb, any rude process or operation, like that of using the thumb as a rule in measuring; hence,
judgment and practical experience as distinguished from scientific knowledge.
Syn. — regulation; law; precept; maxim; guide; canon; order; method; direction; control; government; sway; empire.
Rule
(Rule), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ruled ; p. pr. & vb. n. Ruling.] [Cf. OF. riuler, ruiler, L. regulare.
See Rule, n., and cf. Regulate.]
1. To control the will and actions of; to exercise authority or dominion over; to govern; to manage. Chaucer.
A bishop then must be blameless; . . . one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection.
1 Tim. iii. 2, 4. 2. To control or direct by influence, counsel, or persuasion; to guide; — used chiefly in the passive.
I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me.
Shak. 3. To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice.
That's are ruled case with the schoolmen.
Atterbury. 4. (Law) To require or command by rule; to give as a direction or order of court.
