a. Of or pertaining to Russia, its inhabitants, or language. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Russia; the language of Russia.

Russian bath. See under Bath. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make Russian, or more or less like the Russians; as, to Russianize the Poles. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The established church of the Russian empire up to the revolution of 1917, at which time the ruling Communist party tried to suppress all religious worship. The czar was the nominal head of the church, but he never claimed the right of deciding questions of theology and dogma. It still forms a portion, by far the largest, of the Orthodox (Eastern) Church and is governed by the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. In 1988 the church, with official approval, celebrated the 1000 year anniversary of the baptism of Russia. After breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian Church began to regain some its old influence in Russian life, and the government turned over some of the confiscated churches back to church control. The Russian Church was recognized anew as the official church of Russia, with special priveleges, by an act of the Russian Duma in 1997. The Metropolitan of Moscow, as Patriarch of the church, is regarded as the first among equals in order of deference among bishops of the church. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

(a) An act of bravado played by loading one bullet into one chamber of a revolver in which the cylinder has five or six positions, spinning the cylinder (thus moving the bullet randomly to one of the six positions of the cylinder), pointing the gun to one's head, and pulling the trigger. If the bullet is in firing position, the "player" is usually killed. Such a "game" may be played on a dare, or, in some places, as part of a gamble. (b) (Fig.) Any dangerous act resembling Russian roulette in the acceptance of a high risk of serious negative consequences, usually unnecessarily. “The congress is playing Russian roulette with the economy by enacting such large tax reductions without spending cuts.” [ PJC ]