RC /ɑː r siː / also R.C. ADJ RC is an abbreviation for Roman Catholic . □ …St Mary's RC Cathedral.
Rd also Rd. Rd is a written abbreviation for road . It is used especially in addresses and on maps or signs. □ St Pancras Library, 100 Euston Rd, London, NW1.
-rd -rd is added to numbers that end in 3, except those ending in 13, in order to form ordinal numbers such as 3rd or 33rd. 3rd is pronounced 'third'. □ …September 3rd 1990. □ …the 33rd Boston Marathon. □ …Canada's 123rd birthday.
RDA /ɑː r diː e I / (RDAs ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The RDA of a particular vitamin or mineral is the amount that people need each day to stay healthy. RDA is an abbreviation for 'recommended daily amount'.
re /riː / You use re in business letters, faxes, or other documents to introduce a subject or item which you are going to discuss or refer to in detail. □ Dear Mrs Cox, Re: Household Insurance. We note from our files that we have not yet received your renewal instructions.
PREFIX re-
forms verbs and nouns that refer to an action or process being repeated. For example, if you re-read something, you read it again.
R.E. /ɑː r iː / N‑UNCOUNT R.E. is a school subject in which children learn about religion and other social matters. R.E. is an abbreviation for 'religious education'. [BRIT ]
-'re /ə r / -'re is the usual spoken form of 'are'. It is added to the end of the pronoun or noun which is the subject of the verb. For example, 'they are' can be shortened to 'they're'.
reach ◆◆◆ /riː tʃ/ (reaches , reaching , reached )
1 VERB A leak was found when the train reached Ipswich. □ [V n] He did not stop until he reached the door. □ [V n] He reached Cambridge shortly before three o'clock.
2 VERB If someone or something has reached a certain stage, level, or amount, they are at that stage, level, or amount. □ [V n] The process of political change has reached the stage where it is irreversible. □ [V n] We're told the figure could reach 100,000 next year.
3 VERB If you reach somewhere, you move your arm and hand to take or touch something. □ [V prep/adv] Judy reached into her handbag and handed me a small printed leaflet. □ [V prep/adv] He reached up for an overhanging branch.
4 VERB If you can reach something, you are able to touch it by stretching out your arm or leg. □ [V n] Can you reach your toes with your fingertips?
5 VERB If you try to reach someone, you try to contact them, usually by phone. □ [V n] Has the doctor told you how to reach him or her in emergencies?
6 VERB If something reaches a place, point, or level, it extends as far as that place, point, or level. □ [V + to ] …a nightshirt which reached to his knees. □ [V n] The water level in Lake Taihu has reached record levels.
7 VERB When people reach an agreement or a decision, they succeed in achieving it. □ [V n] A meeting of agriculture ministers in Luxembourg today has so far failed to reach agreement over farm subsidies. □ [V n] They are meeting in Lusaka in an attempt to reach a compromise.
8 N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's or something's reach is the distance or limit to which they can stretch, extend, or travel. □ Isabelle placed a cup on the table within his reach.
9 N‑UNCOUNT If a place or thing is within reach , it is possible to have it or get to it. If it is out of reach , it is not possible to have it or get to it. □ [+ of ] It is located within reach of many important Norman towns, including Bayeux. □ [+ of ] The price is ten times what it normally is and totally beyond the reach of ordinary people. SYNONYMS reach VERB
1
arrive at: The Princess Royal arrived at Gatwick this morning from Jamaica.
get to: Generally I get to work at 9.30am.
end up: The result was that the box ended up at the bottom of the canal.
2
attain: …attaining a state of calmness and confidence.
amount to: Consumer spending on sports-related items amounted to £9.75 billion.
get to: We haven't got to the stage of a full-scale military conflict.
rise to: Pre-tax profits rose to £1.82m.
reaches /riː tʃiz/
1 N‑PLURAL The upper, middle, or lower reaches of a river are parts of a river. The upper reaches are nearer to the river's source and the lower reaches are nearer to the sea into which it flows. □ [+ of ] This year water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the river are unusually high.
2 N‑PLURAL You can refer to the distant or outer parts of a place or area as the far, farthest, or outer reaches . [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the outer reaches of the solar system.
3 N‑PLURAL You can refer to the higher or lower levels of an organization as its upper or lower reaches . [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the upper reaches of the legal profession.
re|act ◆◇◇ /riæ kt/ (reacts , reacting , reacted )
1 VERB When you react to something that has happened to you, you behave in a particular way because of it. □ [V + to ] They reacted violently to the news. □ [V adv/prep] It's natural to react with disbelief if your child is accused of bullying. [Also V ]
2 VERB If you react against someone's way of behaving, you deliberately behave in a different way because you do not like the way they behave. □ [V + against ] My father never saved and perhaps I reacted against that.