I. ˈrij noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rigge, from Old English hrycg; akin to Old High German hrukki back, spine, mountain ridge, Old Norse hryggr back, spine, mountain ridge, Latin cruc-, crux stake used for punishment, cross, Sanskrit kruñcati it curves, Latin curvus curved — more at crown
1.
a. obsolete : the back or backbone of a man or an animal
b. : the projecting or elevated part of the back along the line of the backbone
c. : an elevated body part projecting from a surface
the urogenital ridge
2.
a. : a range of hills or mountains or the upper part of such a range : an extended elevation between valleys
b. : an elongate elevation on an ocean bottom
3. : a top or upper part especially when long and narrow : crest
4.
a. : a raised line or strip (as of ground thrown up by a plow between furrows)
b. : beach ridge
c. : a small raised line on the surface of metal, cloth, or bone
5.
a. : the line of intersection at the top between the opposite slopes or sides of a roof
b. : a shingle, tile, or slate adjacent to the ridge of a roof
c. : the horizontal beam to which the upper ends of the rafters of a roof are fixed : ridgepole
d. : the internal angle of a vault
6. : either of the two projections of a bound book parallel to the joint and formed by the bend put in the sections in the backing operation — called also shoulder
7. : a wedge-shaped extension of a high-pressure area — opposed to trough
8. : the upper part of the narrow posterior end of the body of a whale
9. : the raised knitting pattern formed by garter stitch made by two rows of knit stitch
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to form into a ridge : furnish or mark with ridges
2.
a. : to plow alternate strips in by turning the furrow onto an unplowed strip
b. : to throw soil toward (a crop row) from both sides
ridged his corn
c. : to spade or plow (ground) into alternate ridges and troughs
if low lands must be used for the bean crop, they should be ridged — E.V.Wilcox
intransitive verb
: to form into or become marked with ridges : extend in ridges
the land ridges northward