rai

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Raia. ] (Zool.) The order of elasmobranch fishes which includes the sawfishes, skates, and rays; -- called also Rajae, and Rajii. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Icel. reið a riding, raid; akin to E. road. See Road a way. ] 1. A hostile or predatory incursion; an inroad or incursion of mounted men; a sudden and rapid invasion by a cavalry force; a foray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Marauding chief! his sole delight
The moonlight raid, the morning fight. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

There are permanent conquests, temporary occupations, and occasional raids. H. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ A Scottish word which came into common use in the United States during the Civil War, and was soon extended in its application. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An attack or invasion for the purpose of making arrests, seizing property, or plundering; as, a raid of the police upon a gambling house; a raid of contractors on the public treasury. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Raided; p. pr. & vb. n. Raiding. ] To make a raid upon or into; as, two regiments raided the border counties. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who engages in a raid. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Economics) Designating, or pertaining to, a form of cooperative bank founded among the German agrarian population by Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (1818-88); as, Raiffeisen banks, the Raiffeisen system, etc. The banks are unlimited-liability institutions making small loans at a low rate of interest, for a designated purpose, to worthy members only. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Railed p. pr. & vb. n. Railing. ] 1. To inclose with rails or a railing. [ 1913 Webster ]

It ought to be fenced in and railed. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To range in a line. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They were brought to London all railed in ropes, like a team of horses in a cart. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To rail at. [ Obs. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To move or influence by railing. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Rail the seal from off my bond. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. râle, fr. râler to have a rattling in the throat; of German origin, and akin to E. rattle. See Rattle, v. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds of the family Rallidae, especially those of the genus Rallus, and of closely allied genera. They are prized as game birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common European water rail (Rallus aquaticus) is called also bilcock, skitty coot, and brook runner. The best known American species are the clapper rail, or salt-marsh hen (Rallus longirostris, var. crepitans); the king, or red-breasted, rail (Rallus elegans) (called also fresh-water marshhen); the lesser clapper, or Virginia, rail (Rallus Virginianus); and the Carolina, or sora, rail (Porzana Carolina). See Sora. [ 1913 Webster ]

Land rail (Zool.), the corncrake. [ 1913 Webster ]