disturbance: During the disturbance which followed, three people were hurt.
disorder: He called on the authorities to stop public disorder.
commotion: He heard a commotion outside.
ri ot gear N‑UNCOUNT Riot gear is the special clothing and equipment worn by police officers or soldiers when they have to deal with a riot.
ri|ot|ous /ra I ətəs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that someone has a riotous lifestyle, you mean that they frequently behave in a excessive and uncontrolled way, for example by eating or drinking too much. [FORMAL ] □ …aristocrats who wasted their inheritances in riotous living.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe someone's behaviour or an event as riotous when it is noisy and lively in a rather wild way. □ The dinner was often a riotous affair enlivened by superbly witty speeches. ● ri|ot|ous|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed] □ …a slapstick affair which I found riotously amusing.
ri ot po|lice N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] The riot police is the section of the police force that is trained to deal with people who cause trouble in public places. □ After about 10 minutes the riot police arrived.
ri ot shield (riot shields ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Riot shields are pieces of equipment made of transparent plastic which are used by the police to protect themselves against angry crowds.
rip /r I p/ (rips , ripping , ripped )
1 VERB When something rips or when you rip it, you tear it forcefully with your hands or with a tool such as a knife. □ [V ] I felt the banner rip as we were pushed in opposite directions. □ [V n] I tried not to rip the paper as I unwrapped it.
2 N‑COUNT A rip is a long cut or split in something made of cloth or paper. □ [+ in ] Looking at the rip in her new dress, she flew into a rage.
3 VERB If you rip something away, you remove it quickly and forcefully. □ [V n with adv] He ripped away a wire that led to the alarm button. □ [V n prep] He ripped the phone from her hand.
4 VERB If something rips into someone or something or rips through them, it enters that person or thing so quickly and forcefully that it often goes completely through them. □ [V prep/adv] A volley of bullets ripped into the facing wall.
5 PHRASE If you let rip , you do something forcefully and without trying to control yourself. [INFORMAL ] □ Turn the guitars up full and let rip.
6 PHRASE If you let something rip , you do it as quickly or as forcefully as possible. You can say ' let it rip ' or ' let her rip ' to someone when you want them to make a vehicle go as fast as it possibly can. [INFORMAL ] □ The company let everything rip in order to increase production.
▸ rip off
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone rips you off , they cheat you by charging you too much money for something or by selling you something that is broken or damaged. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] The Consumer Federation claims banks are ripping you off by not passing along savings on interest rates. □ [V P n] The airlines have been accused of ripping off customers.
2 → see also rip-off
▸ rip up PHRASAL VERB If you rip something up , you tear it into small pieces. □ [V P n] If we wrote I think he would rip up the letter. □ [V n P ] She took every photograph of me that was in our house and ripped it up.
R.I.P. /ɑː r a I piː / CONVENTION R.I.P. is written on gravestones and expresses the hope that the person buried there may rest in peace. R.I.P. is an abbreviation for the Latin expression 'requiescat in pace' or 'requiescant in pace'.
rip|cord /r I pkɔː r d/ (ripcords ) also rip cord N‑COUNT A ripcord is the cord that you pull to open a parachute.
ripe /ra I p/ (riper , ripest )
1 ADJ Ripe fruit or grain is fully grown and ready to eat. □ Always choose firm, but ripe fruit. □ …fields of ripe wheat. ● ripe|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Test the figs for ripeness.
2 ADJ If a situation is ripe for a particular development or event, you mean that development or event is likely to happen soon. □ [+ for ] Conditions were ripe for an outbreak of cholera.
3 PHRASE If someone lives to a ripe old age , they live until they are very old. □ He lived to the ripe old age of 95.
rip|en /ra I pən/ (ripens , ripening , ripened ) VERB When crops ripen or when the sun ripens them, they become ripe. □ [V ] I'm waiting for the apples to ripen. □ [V n] You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.
ri p-off (rip-offs )
1 N‑COUNT If you say that something that you bought was a rip-off , you mean that you were charged too much money or that it was of very poor quality. [INFORMAL ] □ He adds 50 grand to the price of any property with a sniff of a Thames view. Yes, it's a rip-off.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that something is a rip-off of something else, you mean that it is a copy of that thing and has no original features of its own. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ of ] In a rip-off of the hit movie Green Card, Billy marries one of his students so he can stay in the country.
ri|poste /r I pɒ st, [AM ] -poʊ st/ (ripostes , riposting , riposted )
1 N‑COUNT A riposte is a quick, clever reply to something that someone has said. [WRITTEN ] □ Laura glanced at Grace, expecting a cheeky riposte.