raze
/ɹeɪz/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.52 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To completely remove (someone or something), especially from a place, a situation, etc.; also, to remove from existence; to destroy, to obliterate.
Transitive verb
verb
To erase (a record, text, etc.), originally by scraping; to rub out, to scratch out.
Transitive verb
verb
To carve (a line, mark, etc.) into something; to incise, to inscribe; also, to carve lines, marks, etc., into (something); to engrave.
Obsolete; Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "The fortreſſe was raſed and beaten downe to the erthe⸝ whiche had coſt moche the makynge therof: […]"
- "Theſe are his ſubſtance, ſinevves, armes, and ſtrength, / VVith vvhich he yoaketh your rebellious Neckes, / Razeth your Cities, and ſubuerts your Tovvnes, / And in a moment makes them deſolate."
- "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jeruſalem; who ſayd, raſe it, raſe it: euen to the foundation thereof."
- "[N]ovv I find, / Theſe men vvould render thee the ſhame, of all men; nor vvould pay, / Their ovvne vovves to thee, vvhen they tooke, their free and honord vvay, / From Argos hither; that till Troy, vvere by their braue hands rac't, / They vvould not turne home; […]"
- "For his further ſecuritie he [Don Roderigo] diſarmed his ſubjects; ſuch Caſtles and ſtrengths as hee vvas jealous of vvere raced, […]"
- "Some ſaid, that I the Temple to the floore / In three dayes raz'd, and raiſed as before."
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English rasen, racen, rase (“to scrape; to shave; to erase; to pull; to strip off; to pluck or tear out; to root out (a tree, etc.); to pull away, snatch; to pull down; to knock down; to rend, tear apart; to pick clean, strip; to cleave, slice; to sever; to lacerate; to pierce; to carve, engrave; to dig; (figurative) to expunge, obliterate; to alter”), from Anglo-Norman raser, rasere, rasser, Middle French raser, and Old French raser (“to shave; to touch lightly, graze; to level off (grain, etc.) in a measure; to demolish, tear down; to erase; to polish; to wear down”), from Vulgar Latin *raso (“to shave; to scrape; to scratch; to touch lightly, graze”), from Latin rāsus (“scraped; shaved”), the perfect passive participle of rādō (“to scrape, scratch; to shave; to rub, smooth; to brush along, graze”). Doublet of rash (etymology 2 and etymology 7). The noun is derived from the verb.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɹeɪz/
- British English: /ɹeɪz/
Usage
Inflected Forms
razes (present, singular)
razing (participle, present)
razed (participle, past)
razed (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
razed (first person, past)
razest (archaic, present)
razed (past, second person)
razedst (archaic, past)
razeth (archaic, present)
razed (past, singular)