rīˈōn noun
( -s )
Etymology: Russian raĭon, district, province, from French rayon honeycomb, department of a store, from Old French ree, raie honeycomb, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German rāza honeycomb, Middle Dutch rāte, and perhaps to Latin cratis wickerwork, hurdle — more at hurdle
: a political subdivision in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics comparable to the United States county : district