RAY


Meaning of RAY in English

ray 1

— raylike , adj.

/ray/ , n.

1. a narrow beam of light.

2. a gleam or slight manifestation: a ray of hope.

3. a raylike line or stretch of something.

4. light or radiance.

5. a line of sight.

6. Physics , Optics.

a. any of the lines or streams in which light appears to radiate from a luminous body.

b. the straight line normal to the wave front in the propagation of radiant energy.

c. a stream of material particles all moving in the same straight line.

7. Math.

a. one of a system of straight lines emanating from a point.

b. Also called half-line . the part of a straight line considered as originating at a point on the line and as extending in one direction from that point.

8. any of a system of parts radially arranged.

9. Zool.

a. one of the branches or arms of a starfish or other radiate animal.

b. one of the bony or cartilaginous rods in the fin of a fish.

10. Bot.

a. See ray flower .

b. one of the branches of an umbel.

c. See vascular ray .

d. (in certain composite plants) the marginal part of the flower head.

11. Astron. one of many long, bright streaks radiating from some of the large lunar craters.

12. a prominent upright projection from the circlet of a crown or coronet, having a pointed or ornamented termination.

13. get or grab some rays , Slang. to relax in the sun, esp. to sunbathe.

v.i.

14. to emit rays.

15. to issue in rays.

v.t.

16. to send forth in rays.

17. to throw rays upon; irradiate.

18. to subject to the action of rays, as in radiotherapy.

19. Informal. to make a radiograph of; x-ray.

20. to furnish with rays or radiating lines.

[ 1300-50; ME raie, raye rai radius RADIUS ]

Syn. 1. See gleam .

ray 2

/ray/ , n.

any of numerous elasmobranch fishes, adapted for life on the sea bottom, having a flattened body and greatly enlarged pectoral fins with the gills on the undersides.

[ 1275-1325; ME raye ( rai ) raia ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .