Rail"road`ing, n. The construction of a railroad; the business of managing or operating a railroad. [Colloq. U. S.]

Rai"ment (r"ment), n. [Abbrev. fr. arraiment. See Array.] 1. Clothing in general; vesture; garments; -- usually singular in form, with a collective sense.

Living, both food and raiment she supplies.

Dryden.

2. An article of dress. [R. or Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

Rain (rn), n. & v. Reign. [Obs.] Spenser.

Rain (rn), n. [OE. rein, AS. regen; akin to OFries. rein, D. & G. regen, OS. & OHG. regan, Icel., Dan., & Sw. regn, Goth. rign, and prob. to L. rigare to water, to wet; cf. Gr. bre`chein to wet, to rain.] Water falling in drops from the clouds; the descent of water from the clouds in drops.

Rain is water by the heat of the sun divided into very small parts ascending in the air, till, encountering the cold, it be condensed into clouds, and descends in drops.

Ray.

Fair days have oft contracted wind and rain.

Milton.

Rain is distinguished from mist by the size of the drops, which are distinctly visible. When water falls in very small drops or particles, it is called mist; and fog is composed of particles so fine as to be not only individually indistinguishable, but to float or be suspended in the air. See Fog, and Mist.

Rain band (Meteorol.), a dark band in the yellow portion of the solar spectrum near the sodium line, caused by the presence of watery vapor in the atmosphere, and hence sometimes used in weather predictions. -- Rain bird (Zoöl.), the yaffle, or green woodpecker. [Prov. Eng.] The name is also applied to various other birds, as to Saurothera vetula of the West Indies. -- Rain fowl (Zoöl.), the channel-bill cuckoo (Scythrops Novæ-Hollandiæ) of Australia. -- Rain gauge, an instrument of various forms for measuring the quantity of rain that falls at any given place in a given time; a pluviometer; an ombrometer. -- Rain goose (Zoöl.), the red-throated diver, or loon. [Prov. Eng.] -- Rain prints (Geol.), markings on the surfaces of stratified rocks, presenting an appearance similar to those made by rain on mud and sand, and believed to have been so produced. -- Rain quail. (Zoöl.) See Quail, n., 1. -- Rain water, water that has fallen from the clouds in rain.

Rain, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rained (rnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Raining.] [AS. regnian, akin to G. regnen, Goth. rignjan. See Rain, n.] 1. To fall in drops from the clouds, as water; -- used mostly with it for a nominative; as, it rains.

The rain it raineth every day.

Shak.

2. To fall or drop like water from the clouds; as, tears rained from their eyes.

Rain (rn), v. t. 1. To pour or shower down from above, like rain from the clouds.

Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.

Ex. xvi. 4.

2. To bestow in a profuse or abundant manner; as, to rain favors upon a person.

Rain"bow` (-b`), n. [AS. regenboga, akin to G. regenbogen. See Rain, and Bow anything bent.] A bow or arch exhibiting, in concentric bands, the several colors of the spectrum, and formed in the part of the hemisphere opposite to the sun by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of falling rain.

Besides the ordinary bow, called also primary rainbow, which is formed by two refractions and one reflection, there is also another often seen exterior to it, called the secondary rainbow, concentric with the first, and separated from it by a small interval. It is formed by two refractions and two reflections, is much fainter than the primary bow, and has its colors arranged in the reverse order from those of the latter.

Lunar rainbow, a fainter arch or rainbow, formed by the moon. -- Marine rainbow, or Sea bow, a similar bow seen in the spray of waves at sea. -- Rainbow trout (Zoöl.), a bright-colored trout (Salmo irideus), native of the mountains of California, but now extensively introduced into the Eastern States, Japan, and other countries; -- called also brook trout, mountain trout, and golden trout. -- Rainbow wrasse. (Zoöl.) See under Wrasse. -- Supernumerary rainbow, a smaller bow, usually of red and green colors only, sometimes seen within the primary or without the secondary rainbow, and in contact with them.

Rain"bowed` (-bd`), a. Formed with or like a rainbow.

Rain"deer` (-dr`), n. (Zoöl.) See Reindeer. [Obs.]

Rain"drop` (-drp`), n. A drop of rain.

Rain"fall` (rn"fl`), n. A fall or descent of rain; the water, or amount of water, that falls in rain; as, the average annual rainfall of a region.

Supplied by the rainfall of the outer ranges of Sinchul and Singaleleh.

Hooker.

Rain"i*ness (-*ns), n. The state of being rainy.

Rain"less, a. Destitute of rain; as, a rainless region.

Rain"-tight` (-tt`), a. So tight as to exclude rain; as, a rain-tight roof.

Rain"y (-), a. [AS. regenig.] Abounding with rain; wet; showery; as, rainy weather; a rainy day or season.

Raip (rp), n. [Cf. Icel. reip rope. Cf. Rope.] A rope; also, a measure equal to a rod. [Scot.]

Rais (rs), n. Same as 2d Reis.

Rais"a*ble (rz"*b'l), a. Capable of being raised.

Raise (rz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raised (rzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Raising.] [OE. reisen, Icel. reisa, causative of rsa to rise. See Rise, and cf. Rear to raise.]

1. To cause to rise; to bring from a lower to a higher place; to lift upward; to elevate; to heave; as, to raise a stone or weight. Hence, figuratively: --

(a) To bring to a higher condition or situation; to elevate in rank, dignity, and the like; to increase the value or estimation of; to promote; to exalt; to advance; to enhance; as, to raise from a low estate; to raise to office; to raise the price, and the like.

This gentleman came to be raised to great titles.

Clarendon.

The plate pieces of eight were raised three pence in the piece.

Sir W. Temple.

(b) To increase the strength, vigor, or vehemence of; to excite; to intensify; to invigorate; to heighten; as, to raise the pulse; to raise the voice; to raise the spirits or the courage; to raise the heat of a furnace.

(c) To elevate in degree according to some scale; as, to raise the pitch of the voice; to raise the temperature of a room.

2. To cause to rise up, or assume an erect position or posture; to set up; to make upright; as, to raise a mast or flagstaff. Hence: --

(a) To cause to spring up from a recumbent position, from a state of quiet, or the like; to awaken; to arouse.

They shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

Job xiv. 12.

(b) To rouse to action; to stir up; to incite to tumult, struggle, or war; to excite.

He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind.

Ps. cvii. 25.

Æneas . . . employs his pains, In parts remote, to raise the Tuscan swains.

Dryden.

(c) To bring up from the lower world; to call up, as a spirit from the world of spirits; to recall from death; to give life to.

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead ?

Acts xxvi. 8.

3. To cause to arise, grow up, or come into being or to appear; to give rise to; to originate, produce, cause, effect, or the like. Hence, specifically: --

(a) To form by the accumulation of materials or constituent parts; to build up; to erect; as, to raise a lofty structure, a wall, a heap of stones.

I will raise forts against thee.

Isa. xxix. 3.

(b) To bring together; to collect; to levy; to get together or obtain for use or service; as, to raise money, troops, and the like. "To raise up a rent." Chaucer.

(c) To cause to grow; to procure to be produced, bred, or propagated; to grow; as, to raise corn, barley, hops, etc.; toraise cattle. "He raised sheep." "He raised wheat where none grew before." Johnson's Dict.

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In some parts of the United States, notably in the Southern States, raise is also commonly applied to the rearing or bringing up of children.

I was raised, as they say in Virginia, among the mountains of the North.

Paulding.

(d) To bring into being; to produce; to cause to arise, come forth, or appear; -- often with up.

I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee.

Deut. xviii. 18.

God vouchsafes to raise another world From him [Noah], and all his anger to forget.

Milton.

(e) To give rise to; to set agoing; to occasion; to start; to originate; as, to raise a smile or a blush.

Thou shalt not raise a false report.

Ex. xxiii. 1.

(f) To give vent or utterance to; to utter; to strike up.

Soon as the prince appears, they raise a cry.

Dryden.

(g) To bring to notice; to submit for consideration; as, to raise a point of order; to raise an objection.

4. To cause to rise, as by the effect of leaven; to make light and spongy, as bread.

Miss Liddy can dance a jig, and raise paste.

Spectator.

5. (Naut.) (a) To cause (the land or any other object) to seem higher by drawing nearer to it; as, to raise Sandy Hook light. (b) To let go; as in the command, Raise tacks and sheets, i. e., Let go tacks and sheets.

6. (Law) To create or constitute; as, to raise a use, that is, to create it. Burrill.

To raise a blockade (Mil.), to remove or break up a blockade, either by withdrawing the ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by driving them away or dispersing them. -- To raise a check, note, bill of exchange, etc., to increase fraudulently its nominal value by changing the writing, figures, or printing in which the sum payable is specified. -- To raise a siege, to relinquish an attempt to take a place by besieging it, or to cause the attempt to be relinquished. -- To raise steam, to produce steam of a required pressure. -- To raise the wind, to procure ready money by some temporary expedient. [Colloq.] -- To raise Cain, or To raise the devil, to cause a great disturbance; to make great trouble. [Slang]