adj. & n.
adj. 1 (of food) uncooked. 2 in the natural state; not processed or manufactured (raw sewage). 3 (of alcoholic spirit) undiluted. 4 (of statistics etc.) not analysed or processed. 5 (of a person) inexperienced, untrained; new to an activity (raw recruits). 6 a stripped of skin; having the flesh exposed. b sensitive to the touch from having the flesh exposed. 7 (of the atmosphere, day, etc.) chilly and damp. 8 crude in artistic quality; lacking finish. 9 (of the edge of cloth) without hem or selvage. 10 (of silk) as reeled from cocoons. 11 (of grain) unmalted.
n. a raw place on a person's or horse's body. come the raw prawn Austral. sl. attempt to deceive. in the raw 1 in its natural state without mitigation (life in the raw). 2 naked. raw-boned gaunt and bony. raw deal harsh or unfair treatment. raw material that from which the process of manufacture makes products. raw sienna a brownish-yellow ferruginous earth used as a pigment. raw umber umber in its natural state, dark yellow in colour. touch on the raw upset (a person) on a sensitive matter. rawish adj. rawly adv. rawness n.
[ OE hreaw f. Gmc ]