ridge /r I dʒ/ (ridges )
1 N‑COUNT A ridge is a long, narrow piece of raised land.
2 N‑COUNT A ridge is a raised line on a flat surface. □ [+ of ] …the bony ridge of the eye socket.
ridged /r I dʒd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A ridged surface has raised lines on it. □ …boots with thick, ridged soles for walking.
ridi|cule /r I d I kjuːl/ (ridicules , ridiculing , ridiculed )
1 VERB If you ridicule someone or ridicule their ideas or beliefs, you make fun of them in an unkind way. □ [V n] I admired her all the more for allowing them to ridicule her and never striking back.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If someone or something is an object of ridicule or is held up to ridicule , someone makes fun of them in an unkind way. □ As a heavy child, she became the object of ridicule from classmates.
ri|dicu|lous /r I d I kjʊləs/ ADJ If you say that something or someone is ridiculous , you mean that they are very foolish. □ It is ridiculous to suggest we are having a romance.
ri|dicu|lous|ly /r I d I kjʊləsli/ ADV [usu ADV adj/adv] You use ridiculously to emphasize the fact that you think something is unreasonable or very surprising. [EMPHASIS ] □ Dena bought rolls of silk that seemed ridiculously cheap.
rid|ing /ra I d I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Riding is the activity or sport of riding horses. □ The next morning we went riding again.
rife /ra I f/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that something, usually something bad, is rife in a place or that the place is rife with it, you mean that it is very common. □ Speculation is rife that he will be sacked. □ [+ with ] Hollywood soon became rife with rumors.
riff /r I f/ (riffs )
1 N‑COUNT In jazz and rock music, a riff is a short repeated tune.
2 N‑COUNT A riff is a short piece of speech or writing that develops a particular theme or idea. □ [+ on ] Rowe does a very clever riff on the nature of prejudice.
rif|fle /r I f ə l/ (riffles , riffling , riffled ) VERB If you riffle through the pages of a book or riffle them, you turn them over quickly, without reading everything that is on them. □ [V + through ] I riffled through the pages until I reached the index. [Also V n]
riff-raff /r I f ræf/ also riffraff N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to a group of people as riff-raff , you disapprove of them because you think they are not respectable. [DISAPPROVAL ]
ri|fle /ra I f ə l/ (rifles , rifling , rifled )
1 N‑COUNT A rifle is a gun with a long barrel. □ They shot him at point blank range with an automatic rifle.
2 VERB If you rifle through things or rifle them, you make a quick search among them in order to find something or steal something. □ [V + through ] I discovered him rifling through the filing cabinet. □ [V n] There were lockers by each seat and I quickly rifled the contents.
rifle|man /ra I f ə lmæn/ (riflemen ) N‑COUNT A rifleman is a person, especially a soldier, who is skilled in the use of a rifle.
ri |fle range (rifle ranges ) N‑COUNT A rifle range is a place where you can practise shooting with a rifle.
rift /r I ft/ (rifts )
1 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] A rift between people or countries is a serious quarrel or disagreement that stops them having a good relationship. □ [+ between ] The interview reflected a growing rift between the President and the government.
2 N‑COUNT A rift is a split that appears in something solid, especially in the ground.
rig /r I g/ (rigs , rigging , rigged )
1 VERB If someone rigs an election, a job appointment, or a game, they dishonestly arrange it to get the result they want or to give someone an unfair advantage. □ [V n] She accused her opponents of rigging the vote.
2 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A rig is a large structure that is used for looking for oil or gas and for taking it out of the ground or the sea bed. □ …gas rigs in the North Sea.
3 N‑COUNT A rig is a truck or lorry that is made in two or more sections which are joined together by metal bars, so that the vehicle can turn more easily. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use articulated lorry 4 → see also rigging
▸ rig up PHRASAL VERB If you rig up a device or structure, you make it or fix it in place using any materials that are available. □ [V P n] Election officials have rigged up speakers to provide voters with music. [Also V n P ]
rig|ging /r I g I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Vote or ballot rigging is the act of dishonestly organizing an election to get a particular result. □ She was accused of corruption, of vote rigging on a massive scale.
2 N‑UNCOUNT On a ship, the rigging is the ropes which support the ship's masts and sails.
right
➊ CORRECT, APPROPRIATE, OR ACCEPTABLE
➋ DIRECTION AND POLITICAL GROUPINGS
➌ ENTITLEMENT
➍ DISCOURSE USES
➎ USED FOR EMPHASIS
➏ USED IN TITLES
➊ right ◆◆◆ /ra I t/ (rights , righting , righted )
→ Please look at categories 17 to 19 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 ADJ If something is right , it is correct and agrees with the facts. □ That's absolutely right. □ Clocks never told the right time. □ The barman tells me you saw Ann on Tuesday morning. Is that right? ● ADV [ADV after v] Right is also an adverb. □ He guessed right about some things. ● right|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ She attended one meeting only, if I remember rightly.