I. ˈrās noun
Etymology: Middle English ras, from Old Norse rās; akin to Old English rǣs rush
Date: 14th century
1. chiefly Scottish : the act of running
2.
a. : a strong or rapid current of water flowing through a narrow channel
b. : a watercourse used industrially
c. : the current flowing in such a course
3.
a. : a set course or duration of time
b. : the course of life
4.
a. : a contest of speed
b. plural : a meeting in which several races (as for horses) are run
c. : a contest or rivalry involving progress toward a goal
pennant race
5. : a track or channel in which something rolls or slides ; specifically : a groove (as for the balls) in a bearing — see roller bearing illustration
II. verb
( raced ; rac·ing )
Date: 15th century
intransitive verb
1. : to compete in a race
2. : to go, move, or function at top speed or out of control
people racing for safety
a heart racing from excitement
struggled to sleep as his mind raced
3. : to revolve too fast under a diminished load
transitive verb
1. : to engage in a race with
2.
a. : to enter in a race
b. : to drive or ride at high speed
c. : to transport or propel at maximum speed
3. : to speed (as an engine) without a working load or with the transmission disengaged
III. noun
Etymology: Middle French, generation, from Old Italian razza
Date: 1580
1. : a breeding stock of animals
2.
a. : a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock
b. : a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics
the English race
3.
a. : an actually or potentially interbreeding group within a species ; also : a taxonomic category (as a subspecies) representing such a group
b. : breed
c. : a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
4. obsolete : inherited temperament or disposition
5. : distinctive flavor, taste, or strength