which the relationship between two countries or groups of people becomes more friendly after a period during which they were e

which the relationship between two countries or groups of people becomes more friendly after a period during which they were enemies A: X ^ W it; ft! &?: policies aimed at bringing about a rapprochement with China t ^ ^ ^ ® M 0 There

now seems little chance of rapprochement between the warring factions, gif, W nJ

mm ,

rapt /raept/ adj. so interested in one particular thing that you are not aware of anything else £ # Ht & Eft; If Sit ife W : a rapt audience Dif1#X-##} fljf& o She listened to the speaker with rapt attention,

rap-tor /'raepta(r)/ noun (technical X ig) any bird of prey (= a bird that kills other creatures for food) M

it; mm

rapture /'raeptJa(r)/ noun [U] (formal) a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness $EH;

X ill HT7I delight _; Charles listened with rapture to her singing. M X & R/f M &g'₀ 0 The chil

dren gazed at her in rapture.

IT7f?n be in, go into, etc. ’raptures (about/over sb/ sth) to feel or express extreme pleasure or enthusiasm for sb/sth mm ( tl&n ) The

critics went into raptures about her performance, if

P c 0 The last minute goal sent the fans into raptures, g — S'] W if ((] ffc #

rapturous /'raeptjaras/ adj. [usually before noun] expressing extreme pleasure or enthusiasm for sb/sth X MW mn ecstatic _: rapturous applause o note at excited ► rap-tur-

ous-ly adv.

rare 0-w/rea(r); NAmE rer/ adj. (rarer, rar-est)

1 ~ (for sb/sth to do sth) | ~ (to do sth) not done, seen, happening, etc. very often # X W ; a rare

disease/occurrence/sight /♦ff; % —JaLW

M-tyj] 0 It’s extremely rare for it to be this hot in April. 0 0 It is rare to find such loyalty these days. & # ,& >0 tyt , fE ^ X # '> J&» 0 On the rare occasions when they met he hardly even dared speak to her.

i$₀ 0 It was a rare (= very great) honour to be made a fellow of the college, ftft # £ ft ft % ,MWA ft £ #_c 2 existing only in small numbers and therefore valuable or interesting W; W: a rare book/ coin/stamp / ?J[ff5 / ftPH o a rare breed/plant ^

0 This species is extremely rare.

3 (of meat $]) cooked for only a short time so that the inside is still red ^^W; f — compare WELL DONE — See also RARITY

rare-bit/‘reabit; NAmE ‘rerbit/ noun = Welsh rarebit

rar-efied /'rearifaid; NAmE 'reraf-/ adj. [usually before noun] 1 (often disapproving) understood or experienced by only a very small group of people who share a particular area of knowledge or activity iSj W1# $ W; ft fp % W _: the rarefied atmosphere of academic life 2 (of air $ H) containing less oxygen than usual ffiijpft;

'rare gas noun (chemistry ffc) = noble gas rare ly 0*w /'reali; NAmE 'rerli/ adv. not very often iSX; X#: She is rarely seen in

public nowadays. A M '> A ft M ft ₀ 0 We rarely agree on what to do.

0 a rarely-performed play — 0 (formal)

Rarely has a debate attracted so much media attention.

rar ing /'rearm; NAmE 'rer-/ adj. ~ to do sth (informal) very enthusiastic about starting to do sth ; $§ M: The new recruits arrived early, all dressed up and raring to go (= to start). fr£-¥-¥ MfiJT,

Ifrlr 0 She is raring to get back to work after her

operation.

rar-ity /'rearati; NAmE 'rer-/ noun (pi. -ies) 1 [c] a person or thing that is unusual and is therefore often valuable or interesting Women are still something

of a rarity in senior positions in business. f£ ^ If IR W #3 A {ft A A ¥ JB, o o His collection of plants contains many rarities.

2 (also less frequent rare-ness) [U] the quality of being rare : The value of antiques will depend on

their condition and rarity, ft-||

rascal /‘raiskl; NAmE 'raeskl/ noun 1 (humorous) a person, especially a child or man, who shows a lack of respect for other people and enjoys playing tricks on them if H; Come here, you little rascal!

Ifc&'M^if:!!! 2 (old-fashioned) a dishonest man ►ras-cal-ly adj. (old-fashioned)

rash /raeJV noun, adj.

mnoun 1 [C, usually sing.] an area of red spots on a person’s skin, caused by an illness or a reaction to sth %; %: I woke up covered in a rash. — M

% o o I come out in a rash (= a rash appears on my skin) if I eat chocolate. — ^35 iJ# -fe k 0, 0 The sun brought her out in (= caused) an itchy rash. APB W oa heat rash (= caused by heat)

— compare spot r?.(3) 2 [sing.] ~ (of sth) a lot of sth; a series of unpleasant things that happen over a short period of time AM; ( ilW ) 4>A^'l£W^tJ

HT71 spate : a rash of movies about life in prison A it 0 There has been a rash of burglaries in the area over the last month, &—

madj. ~ (to do sth) (of people or their actions A^frA) doing sth that may not be sensible without first thinking about the possible results; done in this way ^ W ; # ft W ETOl impulsive, reckless : a rash young man would be rash to assume

that everyone will agree with you on this, IcJiiA Al£

Think twice before doing anything rash. ic H Jj§> ffi 'if o 0 This is what happens when you make rash decisions. W/5Mo ► rash-ly

adv.: She had rashly promised to lend him the money.

rash-ness noun [U]: He bitterly

regretted his rashness,

rasher /'raej'a(r)/ noun (especially BrE) a thin slice of bacon (= meat from the back or sides of a pig) AM

rasp /ra:sp; NAmE raesp/ noun, verb

mnoun 1 [sing.] a rough unpleasant sound ; if!j

M 2 [C] a metal tool with a long blade covered with rows of sharp points, used for making rough surfaces smooth

mverb 1 ~ (sth) (out) to say sth in a rough unpleasant voice f!] ^ W ^ W iK. HTn croak : [V speech] ‘Where

have you been?’ she rasped. MAr W

it o o [VN] He rasped out some instructions.

Ac [also V] 2 [V] to make a rough unpleasant sound pm grate : a

rasping cough/voice 3 [VN] to rub a

surface with a rasp or with sth rough that works or feels like a rasp The

wind rasped his face.

rasp-berry /'rarzbari; NAmE 'raezberi/ noun (pi. -ies) 1 a small dark red soft fruit that grows on bushes A; ill#; ifcffclA: raspberry jam —picture o

page R17 2 (NAmE also .Bronx 'cheer) (informal) a rude sound made by sticking out the tongue and blowing

mp.:

to blow a raspberry at sb ih v&P

raspy /'rarspi; NAmE 'raespi/ adj. (of sb’s voice #) having a rough sound, as if the person has a sore throat tf 1® $lj ^ W pm CROAKY

Ras ta far ian /.raesta'fearian; NAmE -'fer-/ (also informal Rasta) noun a member of a Jamaican religious group which worships the former Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, and which believes that black people will one day return to Africa. Rastafarians often wear dreadlocks and have other distinguishing patterns of behaviour and dress.

jSIh]^#HAffi ) ► Ras ta far-ian (also informal Rasta) adj. Ras-ta-far-ian-ism noun [U]