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rapidity [r@ "pId @ ti] n. quickness;
speed. (No plural.)
rapids n. the part of a river where
the water moves very fast and is
very active. (Treated as plural.)
rapture ["rAp tS#] n. a feeling or
expression of complete joy or
delight. (No plural.)
rare ["rEr] 1. adj. not common; not
often found, seen, or done. (Adv:
rarely. Comp: rarer; sup: rarest.)
2. adj. [of meat] cooked only a lit-
tle. (Comp: rarer; sup: rarest.)
rarin’ to go extremely eager to act
or do something. (Informal.)
rash ["rAS] 1. n. a disease or condi-
tion of the skin, making it red,
itchy, and bumpy.
2. adj. not
thinking about something care-
fully or long enough; done without
careful thought. (Adv: rashly.
Comp: rasher; sup: rashest.)
raspberry ["rAz bEr i] 1. n. a small,
sweet, usually red or purple fruit
that grows on a bush, and the bush
itself.
2. adj. made or flavored
with Q.
rat ["rAt] 1. n. a small rodent with a
long tail.


2. n. someone who is
mean, worthless, not honest, or
not loyal. (Figurative on Q.)
rat race a fierce struggle for suc-
cess, especially in one’s career or
business.
rate ["ret] 1. n. the relation of an
amount to another amount, such
as speed in relation to time.
2. n. a
price [for each unit of something].
3. tv. to assign a value or rank to
someone or something.
4. tv. to
deserve something; to be worthy
of something.
rather ["rAD #] 1. adv. instead; on
the contrary.
2. adv. to an extent;
to a degree; too; very; quite.

would rather
do something
ratify ["rAt @ faI] tv. to approve
something officially; to make
something be valid officially.
rational ["rAS @ n@l] 1. adj. using
the mind or the brain; sensible;
reasonable; logical. (Adv: ration-
ally.)

2. adj. able to use sense or
reason; aware. (Adv: rationally.)
rationale [rAS @ "nAl] n. a reason;
the reason for doing something;
reasoning or explanation. (No plu-
ral.)
rattle ["rAt @l] 1. n. a noise-making
device, usually a toy for babies,
consisting of a small container
with bits of hard matter inside.
2. n. the noise made when a num-
ber of small things tap against
something, as with Q.
3. iv. to
make a quick set of short noises.
4. tv. to cause something to make
a quick set of short noises.
rattle around in
something
1. to
make a rattling noise inside some-
thing.
2. to ride about in a vehicle
that rattles.
3. to live in a place
that is much too big. (Figurative.)
rattle
something
off to recite some-
thing with ease; to recite a list

quickly and easily.
rattlesnake ["rAt @l snek] n. a ven-
omous snake with hard rings of
skin on its tail that make a rattling
sound when it shakes its tail.
rave about
someone or something
["rev ] to praise or curse some-
one or something in a very excited
rapidity
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or wild way; to praise someone or
something.
ravished with delight made very
happy or delighted; filled with
happiness or delight.
raw ["rO] 1. adj. not cooked.
(Comp: rawer; sup: rawest.)
2. adj.
[of something that has been]
rubbed until sore; having a layer of
skin rubbed off. (Adv: rawly.
Comp: rawer; sup: rawest.)
ray ["re] n. a beam of something
that comes from a source, espe-
cially a beam of light, heat, or
radiation.
raze ["rez] tv. to tear down a build-

ing completely.
razor ["re z#] 1. n. a tool that holds
a sharp blade that is used to shave
whiskers or hair.
2. the adj. use of
Q.
reach ["ritS] 1. tv. to arrive at some-
place; to get to someplace.
2. tv. to
get hold of someone by some
means of communication; to con-
tact someone.
3. tv. to stretch out
to a certain place in space or time;
to extend to a certain place in
space or time.
4. tv. to affect or
influence someone; to make some-
one else understand something.
5. tv. to total a certain amount.
6. iv. to extend all the way. 7. n. the
distance that someone or some-
thing is able to stretch or extend;
the range or capacity of someone
or something.
reach a compromise to achieve a
compromise; to make a compro-
mise.
reach an agreement to achieve an
agreement; to make an agreement.

reach an impasse to progress to
the point that a barrier stops fur-
ther progress.
reach back (in)to
something
to
extend back into a particular
period in time.
reach down to extend downward.
reach first base (with
someone or
something
) Go to get to first base
(with
someone or something
).
reach for
someone or something
to
move or stretch to touch or get
something.
reach in(to
something
) to stick
one’s hand into something to
grasp something.
reach out
1.
to extend one’s grasp
outward.

2. to enlarge one’s circle
of friends and experiences.
reach out (after
someone or
something
) to extend one’s grasp
to someone or something.
reach out into
something
to
extend one’s grasp out into some-
thing, such as the darkness.
reach out to
someone
1. to offer
someone a helping hand.
2. to
seek someone’s help and support.
react [ri "Akt] 1. iv. to show a
response [to something]; to make
a response [to someone or some-
thing].
2. iv. [for a chemical] to do
something when it touches
another substance; [for two chem-
icals] to do something when they
are brought together.
reaction [ri "Ak S@n] 1. n. a
response to someone or some-
thing; an action that is done in

response to someone or some-
thing; a feeling that is felt in
reaction
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response to someone or some-
thing.
2. n. the result of a chemical
touching another substance; the
result when two chemicals are
brought together.

gut reaction
read 1. ["rid] tv., irreg. to under-
stand what is meant by written
words; to get meaning from writ-
ten words. (Past tense and past
participle: read [
"rEd].) 2. ["rid]
tv., irreg. to say written words out
loud.
3. ["rid] iv., irreg. to be able
to understand writing and print-
ing.
4. ["rid] iv., irreg. to say writ-
ten words aloud.
read between the lines to infer
something (from something else);
to try to understand what is meant

by something that is not written
clearly or openly.
read
someone
like a book to
understand someone very well.
read
someone
out (for
something
)
to chastise someone verbally for
doing something wrong.
read
someone
out of
something
to
make a case for the removal of
someone from something.
read
someone
the riot act to give
someone a severe scolding.
read
something
back (to
someone
)
to read back some information to

the person who has just given it.
read
something
in((to)
something
)
to make inferences as one reads
something; to imagine that addi-
tional messages, ideas, or biases
are present in something that one
is reading.
read
something
off to read aloud a
list.
read
something
over to read some-
thing, concentrating on form as
well as content.
read through
something
to look
through some reading material.
read up (on
someone or
something
) to study about some-
one or something by reading.
readily ["rEd @ li] 1. adv. without

difficulty or problems; easily.
2. adv. without delay or doubt;
eagerly.
readiness ["rEd i n@s] n. the state of
being ready; the state of being pre-
pared. (No plural.)
reading ["rid IN] 1. n. something
written that is meant to be read.
2. n. a measurement shown on a
meter or other similar device.
3. the adj. use of Q or W.
readjust [ri @ "dZ^st] tv. to adjust
something again; to put something
back where it belongs.
readjust to
someone or something
to get used to someone or some-
thing again.
readjustment [ri @ "dZ^st m@nt]
1. n. the process of getting used to
something again. (No plural.)
2. n.
an act of readjusting something; a
movement or change that is made
when putting something back
where it belongs.
ready ["rEd i] 1. adj. [of something]
able to be used right now. (Comp:
readier; sup: readiest.)
2. tv. to pre-

pare something for use.
ready to
do something
[of someone
or some creature] prepared and
eager to do something.
read
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real ["ril] 1. adj. existing; actual;
true. (Adv: really.)
2. adj. genuine;
not fake. (Adv: really.)
3. adv.
really; very; extremely. (Collo-
quial.)
real estate ["ril @ stet] 1. n. land,
with all the buildings on it. (No
plural.)
2. n. the business of deal-
ing in Q. (No plural.)
3. the adj.
use of Q or W. (Hyphenated
before a nominal.)
realism ["ri @ lIz @m] n. the point of
view concerned with reality in life
and art. (No plural.)
realistic [ri @ "lIs tIk] 1. adj.
appearing or seeming to be real or

authentic. (Adv: realistically [
Ik
li
].) 2. adj. accepting life as it
really is; practical. (Adv: realisti-
cally [
Ik li].)
reality [ri "Al @ ti] n. everything
that is real; something that is real;
that which exists. (Plural only for
types and instances.)

in reality
realization [ri @l @ "ze S@n] n. an
understanding that something
exists or has happened.
realize ["ri @ laIz] 1. tv. to under-
stand something; to be aware of
something. (The object can be a
clause with
that U.) 2. tv. to make
something real; to cause some-
thing to exist.
really ["ri (@) li] 1. adv. actually;
truly; in reality.
2. adv. very; com-
pletely.
reappear [ri @ "pIr] 1. iv. to appear
again.
2. iv. to occur again.

rear ["rIr] 1. n. the part of the body
one sits on. (Euphemistic.)
2. adj.
in back; hind.
3. tv. to raise off-
spring.
4. iv. to rise up, especially
for a horse to stand on its back
legs.

at the rear of
something
→ bring up the rear
→ in the rear
rear back
1.
[for a horse] to pull
back onto its hind legs in an effort
to move backwards rapidly.
2. [for
a person] to pull back and stand
up or sit up straighter.
rear its ugly head [for something
unpleasant] to appear or become
obvious after lying hidden.
rear up
1.
[for a horse] to lean back
on its hind legs and raise its front
part up, assuming a threatening

posture or avoiding something on
the ground such as a snake.
2. [for
something, especially a problem]
to rise up suddenly. (Figurative.)
rearrange [ri @ "rendZ] tv. to
arrange something again or in a
different way, especially to place
people or things in a different
order or in different positions with
respect to each other.
rearrangement [ri @ "rendZ m@nt]
n. creating a new or different
arrangement; changing the way
that people or things are ordered
or positioned with respect to each
other. (No plural.)
reason ["ri z@n] 1. n. the power or
ability to think, understand, and
form opinions and conclusions
from facts. (No plural.)
2. n. a
cause; a motive; an explanation; a
rationale.
3. iv. to think; to be able
to think; to use the power or abil-
ity to think, understand, and form
opinions and conclusions.
4. tv. to
have an opinion or conclusion

reason
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based on Q. (The object is a
clause with
that U.)
reason
something
out to figure
something out; to plan a reason-
able course of action.
reason with
someone
to persuade
someone by using reason; to argue
with someone by using reason.
reasonable ["ri z@ n@ b@l] 1. adj.
sensible; making sense; according
to reason. (Adv: reasonably.)
2.
adj. not expensive; having an
acceptable cost. (Adv: reasonably.)
reasoning ["ri z@ nIN] n. the pro-
cess or ability of thinking and
forming conclusions from facts
and evidence. (No plural.)
reassure [ri @ "SUr] tv. to restore
someone’s courage or confidence.
rebel 1. ["rEb @l] n. someone who

fights or resists power, authority,
or government.
2. [rI "bEl] to fight
or resist power, authority, or gov-
ernment.
rebel against
someone or some-
thing
[rI "bEl ] to fight against a
person, power, laws, rules, author-
ity, or government.
rebellion [rI "bEl j@n] n. rebelling;
challenging authority. (Plural only
for types and instances.)
rebirth [ri "b#T] n. seeming to be
born again. (No plural.)
rebound 1. ["ri baUnd] n. the
return movement of something
that bounced off something.
2. [rI
"baUnd
] iv. to bounce back after
hitting something.
3. [rI "baUnd]
iv. to recover. (Figurative on W.)
rebuild [rI "bIld] tv., irreg. to build
something again. (Past tense and
past participle:
rebuilt.)
rebuilt [rI "bIlt] past tense and past

participle of
rebuild.
receipt [rI "sit] 1. n. a state of hav-
ing been received. (No plural.)
2. n. a document that proves that
something has been received or
paid for.

in receipt of
something
receipts n. money that a business
receives from customers; money
that is collected by a business or at
a performance. (Treated as plural,
but not countable.)
receive [rI "siv] 1. tv. to get some-
thing; to take something that is
given.
2. tv. to accept someone as a
member of a group or organiza-
tion; to welcome someone as a vis-
itor.
receiver [rI "siv #] 1. n. someone
or something that receives some-
thing.
2. n. the part of a telephone
that one holds while one is talking.
3. n. a radio or television set;
something that receives broadcast
signals.

recent ["ri s@nt] adj. happening
only a short time ago; having
existed for only a short time; not
long ago. (Adv: recently.)

in recent memory
receptacle [rI "sEp t@ k@l] 1. n. a
container designed to receive
something.
2. n. a place to plug in
an electric cord. (Short for
electric
receptacle.
)

electric receptacle
reception [rI "sEp S@n] 1. n. receiv-
ing or welcoming someone.
2. n.
the quality of broadcast signals
reason something out
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that are received by a television
set, a radio, or other receiver. (No
plural.)
3. n. a party, gathering, or
celebration where people are wel-
comed.

recess 1. ["ri sEs] n. a period of
time during the school day when
the children are allowed to play,
usually outside.
2. ["ri sEs] n. a
period of time during the workday
when someone stops working for a
few minutes and takes a break; a
break W. 3. ["ri sEs] n. a space cut
or built into a wall; a space that is
set back from a wall.
4. [rI "sEs] iv.
to take a break; to stop working
for a short time.
recipe ["rEs @ pi] 1. n. a set of direc-
tions for making something to eat.
2. n. a set of directions for prepar-
ing or causing anything. (Figura-
tive on Q.)
recipient [rI "sIp i @nt] n. someone
who or something that receives
something.
recital [rI "saIt @l] 1. n. the telling
of a story; a verbal account of
something.
2. n. a concert or per-
formance, often by a single per-
former playing an instrument,
singing, or reading poetry.
recite [rI "saIt] tv. to verbally

deliver an answer in school; to
repeat something, such as a poem,
from memory.
recite
something
chapter and
verse to give detailed informa-
tion; to quote something in great
detail, especially some source of
authority.
reckless ["rEk l@s] adj. careless; not
concerned about safety or danger.
(Adv: recklessly.)
recklessness ["rEk l@s n@s] n.
being reckless; taking risks on pur-
pose. (No plural.)
reclaim [rI "klem] 1. tv. to save or
reuse something that would other-
wise be thrown away.
2. tv. to
demand or claim the return of
something that has been given
away or taken away.
recognition [rEk Ig "nIS @n] 1. n.
realization. (No plural.)
2. n.
acknowledgment of the existence
of someone or something. (No
plural.)
3. n. acknowledgment of

service or excellence. (No plural.)
recognizable ["rEk Ig naIz @ b@l]
adj. in adequate amount or degree
to be noticed or identified. (Adv:
recognizably.)
recognize ["rEk Ig naIz] 1. tv. to
identify someone or something.
2. tv. to make an acknowledgment
that something exists. (The object
can be a clause with
that U.) 3. tv.
to give someone the right to speak,
especially at a meeting.
recommend [rEk @ "mEnd] 1. tv. to
suggest [making] a particular
choice from a range of choices.
2. tv. to suggest a particular course
of action. (The object can be a
clause with
that U.)
recommendation [rEk @ mEn "de
S@n
] n. a suggestion of which
selection someone should choose
from a range of choices; someone
or something that is recom-
mended.
recommendation
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reconcile
oneself
to
something
to
grow to feel comfortable with an
undesirable or challenging situa-
tion.
reconsider [ri k@n "sId #] 1. tv. to
consider something again; to think
about something again.
2. iv. to
consider again; to think about
again.
record 1. ["rEk #d] n. a written
account of facts or information
about someone or something.
2. ["rEk #d] n. a flat plastic disk
that has sound stored on it and is
played on a machine that makes
the recorded sounds able to be
heard.
3. ["rEk #d] n. the most
extreme example of something;
the highest, lowest, fastest, slow-
est, longest, shortest, or any other
extreme example of something.
4. [rI "kord] tv. to write down
information about someone or

something so that other people
will be able to read the informa-
tion.
5. [rI "kord] tv. to store sound
on audiotape or to store images on
film or videotape; to put a sound
or an image into a permanent
form.
record
something
on
something
to
make a record of something on the
surface of something.
recorded [rI "kor dId] 1. adj. writ-
ten down; having information
about someone or something writ-
ten down; known.
2. adj. stored
on cassette, film, or videotape;
stored in a permanent form.
recorder [rI "kor d#] 1. n. someone
who writes down and stores infor-
mation.
2. n. a musical instru-
ment, consisting of a hollow tube
of wood that has holes down one
side.
3. n. a machine that records

sounds or images and usually is
able to play the sounds and images
back.

break a record
→ cassette recorder
→ for the record
→ off the record
recording [rI "kor dIN] n. a record;
music, speech, or other sound that
has been recorded.
recount 1. ["ri kaUnt] n. another
counting; a second count; another
count, especially in an election
when the votes are counted for a
second time because the first
count is thought to be faulty.
2. [ri
"kaUnt
] tv. to tell a story; to tell the
story of something that happened.
3. ["ri "kaUnt] tv. to count some-
thing again.
recount
something
to
someone
to
tell something to someone; to nar-
rate a series of events, in order.

recover [ri "k^v #] 1. iv. to get bet-
ter after a sickness or injury; to
return to good health.
2. tv. to get
something back that went away or
was lost, stolen, or taken away.
3. tv. to reclaim something; to pull
out something useful from some-
thing that is not useful.
recovery [ri "k^v @ ri] 1. n. the pro-
cess of getting something back
that went away or was lost, stolen,
or taken; receiving someone or
something that went away or was
lost, stolen, or taken. (No plural.)
2. n. the return to someone’s or
something’s regular condition,
especially the return of good
health after sickness or injury or
reconcile oneself to something
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the return of a good economy
after a bad period of time. (No
plural.)
recreation [rEk ri "e S@n] n. amuse-
ment; play; activities that are done
for pleasure, enjoyment, or fun.
(No plural.)

recreational [rEk ri "e S@ n@l] adj.
of or about
recreation. (Adv:
recreationally.)
recruit [rI "krut] 1. tv. to cause or
persuade someone to become a
new member of a group, or organ-
ization such as the military.
2. n.
someone who has just joined a
group or organization, especially
the military.
recruit
someone
into
something
to
seek out and bring someone into
something.
rectangle ["rEk tAN g@l] n. a four-
sided figure with four right angles,
having opposite sides that are par-
allel and the same length.
rectangular [rEk "tAN gj@ l#] adj.
shaped like a
rectangle. (Adv: rec-
tangularly.)
rectify ["rEk t@ faI] tv. to make
something right; to correct some-
thing.

rectum ["rEk t@m] n. the end of the
lower intestine, through which
waste passes.
recuperate from
something
to
recover from something; to be
cured or to heal after something.
recur [ri "k#] iv. to repeat; to hap-
pen again; to continue to happen.
recycle [ri "saIk @l] 1. tv. to change
glass, plastic, paper, or other mate-
rial into a form that can be used
again; to recover a resource; to
find a further use for something
that might otherwise be wasted.
2. tv. to collect or set aside used
glass, plastic, paper, or other mate-
rial so that it can be made into
something useful.
3. iv. to collect
and set aside [trash] as in W.
recycled [ri "saIk @ld] adj. made
from a substance that has already
been used.
red ["rEd] 1. n. the color of blood
and the traffic signal that means
stop. (Plural only for types and
instances.)
2. the adj. use of Q.

(Adv: redly. Comp: redder; sup:
reddest.)
3. adj. [of hair] copper
colored or rusty orange. (Comp:
redder; sup: reddest.)

get the red-carpet treatment
→ give
someone
the red-carpet
treatment
→ in the red

one’s
ears are red
→ out of the red
→ paint the town red
→ roll out the red carpet for
someone
red tape overly strict attention to
the wording and details of rules
and regulations, especially by gov-
ernment or public departments.
(From the color of the tape used
by government departments to tie
up bundles of documents.)
redbird ["rEd b#d] n. any of various
birds having red feathers.
redden ["rEd n] 1. iv. to become
red; to turn red.

2. tv. to cause
someone or something to become
red; to cause someone or some-
thing to turn red.
reddish ["rEd IS] adj. having some
of the qualities of the color red.
(Adv: reddishly.)
reddish
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redeem [rI "dim] 1. tv. to convert
something to cash, especially to
convert a coupon, token, ticket, or
other thing that is not money but
represents money.
2. tv. to do
something that restores other peo-
ple’s good opinion of oneself.
(Takes a reflexive object.)
redeeming [rI "dim IN] adj. making
up for other faults or problems.
redevelop [ri dI "vEl @p] 1. tv. to
develop something again.
2. tv. to
build in an area again; to con-
struct buildings in an area again.
redhead ["rEd hEd] n. someone
who has red hair.
redid ["ri "dId] past tense of redo.

redirect [ri dI "rEkt] tv. to direct or
send someone or something to a
different place; to send someone
or something in a different direc-
tion.
redness ["rEd n@s] n. being red; the
condition of having the color red.
(No plural.)
redo [ri "du] tv., irreg. to do some-
thing again; to do something over.
(Past tense:
redid; past participle:
redone.)
redone [ri "d^n] Past participle of
redo.
redouble [ri "d^b @l] 1. tv. to dou-
ble the amount of something; to
increase the amount of something.
2. iv. to double; to increase.
reduce [rI "dus] 1. tv. to make
something smaller or less impor-
tant; to decrease something.
2. iv.
to lose [weight].
reduced to
something
brought into
a certain poorer condition or state.
reduction [rI "d^k S@n] 1. n. mak-
ing something smaller; reducing

something.
2. n. the amount by
which something is made smaller.
redundant [rI "d^n d@nt] adj.
extra; not needed; doing the same
thing as someone or something
else. (Adv: redundantly.)
redwood ["rEd wUd] 1. n. a tall
evergreen tree, found in the west-
ern United States, that lives to be
very old.
2. n. the wood of Q.
(Plural only for types and
instances.)
3. the adj. use of Q or
W.
reed ["rid] 1. n. a tall grasslike plant
with hollow stems that grows in
marshes and other wet places.
2. n.
a thin piece of wood in the
mouthpiece of woodwind instru-
ments like clarinets, saxophones,
and oboes or a similar metal piece
in harmonicas, accordions, and
pipe organs.
3. the adj. use of Q
or W.
reef ["rif] n. a ridge of rocks, sand,
or coral that extends from the bot-

tom of a sea or ocean to or almost
to the surface of the water.
reek ["rik] iv. to smell very bad.
reel ["ril] 1. n. a round frame
around which string, thread, yarn,
fishing line, film, audiotape,
videotape, or other long materials
are wound.
2. iv. to twist or turn,
as when struck by a powerful
blow.
reel
something
in to pull something
inward, toward oneself by using a
reel Q.
redeem
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reel
something
off to recite a list or
sequence of words, rapidly, from
memory.
reel under
something
1. to stagger
under the weight of something.
2. to stagger because of a blow.

3. to suffer because of a burden.
(Figurative.)
reelect ["ri @ "lEkt] tv. to elect
someone again.
reelection [ri @ "lEk S@n] n. the
election of someone to the same
position for another term.
reestablish [ri @ "stAb lIS] tv. to
establish something again.
refer
someone
back to
someone or
something
to suggest that someone
go back to someone or something,
such as a source.
refer
someone
to
someone or
something
[rI "f# ] to direct
someone to use someone or some-
thing for help or information; to
direct someone to go to someone
or something for help or informa-
tion.
refer
something

back (to
someone
or something
) to send something
back to someone or a group for
action.
refer to
someone or something
[rI
"f#
] 1. to use someone or some-
thing for help or information; to
go to someone or something for
help or information.
2. to have to
do with someone or something; to
apply to someone or something; to
be related to someone or some-
thing.
referee [rEf @ "ri] 1. n. someone
who judges the playing of sports
events; an umpire.
2. tv. to judge
the playing of a sports event.
3. iv.
to serve as Q.
reference ["rEf (@) r@ns] 1. n. words
that refer to something else; some-
thing that has to do with some-
thing else; something that relates

to something else.
2. n. some-
thing, such as a book, that is used
for help or information; someone
or something that provides infor-
mation about something.
3. n. a
statement that someone writes
about someone else for that other
person’s use when applying for
something; a statement about
someone or someone’s character.
refill a prescription to obtain or
sell a subsequent set of doses of a
medicine upon a doctor’s orders.
refine [rI "faIn] 1. tv. to make
something purer.
2. tv. to make
something more detailed, rational,
or effective.
refined [rI "faInd] 1. adj. made
purer; pure; having impure sub-
stances removed.
2. adj. elegant;
very proper and civilized. (Adv:
refinedly.)
refinish [ri "fIn IS] tv. to remove an
old paint or varnish finish and
apply a new one.
reflect [rI "flEkt] 1. tv. to show an

image in the manner of a mirror.
2. tv. to throw back heat, light,
sound, or energy; to bounce back
heat, light, sound, or energy.
3. tv.
[for something] to show or reveal
a personal characteristic of some-
one.
reflect off
something
to be
reflected away from something;
reflect off something
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