Ray

Definition of Ray

Pronunciation: rād
v. t.1.To array.
2.To mark, stain, or soil; to streak; to defile.
n.1.Array; order; arrangement; dress.
And spoiling all her gears and goodly ray.
- Spenser.
1.One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays.
2.(Bot.) A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius. See Radius.
3.(Zool.) One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes.
4.(Physics) A line of light or heat proceeding from a radiant or reflecting point; a single element of light or heat propagated continuously; as, a solar ray; a polarized ray.
5.Sight; perception; vision; - from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.
All eyes direct their rays
On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze.
- Pope.
6.(Geom.) One of a system of diverging lines passing through a point, and regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. See Half-ray.
Bundle of rays
(Geom.) See Pencil of rays, below.
Extraordinary ray
(Opt.) that one of two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which does not follow the ordinary law of refraction.
Ordinary ray
(Opt.) that one of the two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which follows the usual or ordinary law of refraction.
Pencil of rays
(Geom.) a definite system of rays.
Ray flower
(Bot.) one of the marginal flowers of the capitulum in such composite plants as the aster, goldenrod, daisy, and sunflower. They have an elongated, strap-shaped corolla, while the corollas of the disk flowers are tubular and five-lobed.
Ray point
(Geom.) the common point of a pencil of rays.
Röntgen ray
(Phys.) a kind of ray generated in a very highly exhausted vacuum tube by the electrical discharge; now more commonly called X-ray. It is composed of electromagnetic radiation of wavelength shorter than that of ultraviolet light, and is capable of passing through many bodies opaque to light, and producing photographic and fluorescent effects by which means pictures showing the internal structure of opaque objects are made, called radiographs, sciagraphs, X-ray photographs, radiograms, or X-rays. So called from the discoverer, W. C. Röntgen.
X ray
the Röntgen ray; - so called by its discoverer because of its enigmatical character, x being an algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity.
v. t.1.To mark with long lines; to streak.
[imp. & p. p. Rayed (rād); p. pr. & vb. n. Raying.]
2.To send forth or shoot out; to cause to shine out; as, to ray smiles.
v. i.1.To shine, as with rays.
n.1.(Zool.) Any one of numerous elasmobranch fishes of the order Raiæ, including the skates, torpedoes, sawfishes, etc.
Bishop ray
a yellow-spotted, long-tailed eagle ray (Stoasodon nàrinari) of the Southern United States and the West Indies.
Butterfly ray
a short-tailed American sting ray (Pteroplatea Maclura), having very broad pectoral fins.
Devil ray
See Sea Devil.
Eagle ray
any large ray of the family Myliobatidæ, or Ætobatidæ. The common European species (Myliobatis aquila) is called also whip ray, and miller.
Electric ray
a torpedo.
Starry ray
a common European skate (Raia radiata).
Sting ray
any one of numerous species of rays of the family Trygonidæ having one or more large, sharp, barbed dorsal spines on the whiplike tail. Called also stingaree.

Related Words

Reptilia, X ray, actinic ray, actinism, amplitude, antinode, atom, atomic beam, atomic ray, beam, beam of light, crest, de Broglie wave, diffraction, diffuse, diffusion, disperse, dispersion, drop, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic wave, emanate, emanation, frequency, frequency band, frequency spectrum, gamma ray, gleam, guided wave, in phase, infrared ray, interference, invisible radiation, jot, leam, light, longitudinal wave, lota, mechanical wave, minim, molecule, moonbeam, node, out of phase, patch, pencil, period, periodic wave, photon, radiance, radiate, radiation, radio wave, radiorays, radius, ray of light, reinforcement, resonance, resonance frequency, ribbon, ribbon of light, scatter, scattering, scrap, seismic wave, shaft, shock wave, shoot, shred, smidgen, solar rays, sound wave, spoke, spread, streak, stream, stream of light, streamer, sunbeam, surface wave, tidal wave, transverse wave, trough, ultraviolet ray, violet ray, wave, wave equation, wave motion, wave number, wavelength
Word:

Browse

Ravine
Raving
Ravish
Ravisher
Ravishing
Ravishingly
Ravishment
Ravissant
Raw
Raw material
Raw pig
Raw sienna
Raw silk
Rawbone
Rawboned
Rawhead
Rawhide
Rawish
Rawly
Rawness
-Ray-
Ray flower
Ray grass
Ray point
Rayah
Rayless
Rayon
Rayonnant
Raze
Razed
Razee
Razor
razor clam
Razor fish
Razor grass
Razor grinder
Razor shell
Razor stone
Razor strap
Razor-backed
razor-edged
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

© 2014 Webster-dictionary.net | Dictionary Home | Privacy Policy