v. & n.
--v. (past rode; past part. ridden)
1. tr. travel or be carried on (a bicycle etc.) or esp. US in (a vehicle).
2 intr. (often foll. by on, in) travel or be conveyed (on a bicycle or in a vehicle).
3 tr. sit on and control or be carried by (a horse etc.).
4 intr. (often foll. by on) be carried (on a horse etc.).
5 tr. be carried or supported by (the ship rides the waves).
6 tr. a traverse on horseback etc., ride over or through (ride 50 miles; rode the prairie). b compete or take part in on horseback etc. (rode a good race).
7 intr. a lie at anchor; float buoyantly. b (of the moon) seem to float.
8 intr. (foll. by in, on) rest in or on while moving.
9 tr. yield to (a blow) so as to reduce its impact.
10 tr. give a ride to; cause to ride (rode the child on his back).
11 tr. (of a rider) cause (a horse etc.) to move forward (rode their horses at the fence).
12 tr. a (in passive; foll. by by, with) be oppressed or dominated by; be infested with (was ridden with guilt). b (as ridden adj.) infested or afflicted (usu. in comb.: a rat-ridden cellar).
13 intr. (of a thing normally level or even) project or overlap.
14 tr. mount (a female) in copulation.
15 tr. US annoy or seek to annoy.
--n.
1. an act or period of travel in a vehicle.
2 a spell of riding on a horse, bicycle, person's back, etc.
3 a path (esp. through woods) for riding on.
4 the quality of sensations when riding (gives a bumpy ride).
Phrases and idioms:
let a thing ride leave it alone; let it take its natural course. ride again reappear, esp. unexpectedly and reinvigorated. ride down overtake or trample on horseback. ride for a fall act recklessly risking defeat or failure. ride herd on see HERD. ride high be elated or successful. ride out come safely through (a storm etc., or a danger or difficulty). ride roughshod over see ROUGHSHOD. ride to hounds see HOUND. ride up (of a garment, carpet, etc.) work or move out of its proper position. take for a ride colloq. hoax or deceive.
Derivatives:
ridable adj.
Etymology: OE ridan