raze

Where “raze” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   To level or tear down (a building, a town, etc.) to the ground; to demolish.
2. 2
   To completely remove (someone or something), especially from a place, a situation, etc.; also, to remove from existence; to destroy, to obliterate.
3. 3
   To erase (a record, text, etc.), originally by scraping; to rub out, to scratch out.
4. 4
   To wound (someone or part of their body) superficially; to graze.
5. 5
   To alter (a document) by erasing parts of it.
6. 6
   To carve (a line, mark, etc.) into something; to incise, to inscribe; also, to carve lines, marks, etc., into (something); to engrave.
7. 7
   To remove (something) by scraping; also, to cut or shave (something) off.
8. 8
   To rub lightly along the surface of (something); brush against, to graze.
9. 9
   To scrape (something), with or as if with a razor, to remove things from its surface; also, to reduce (something) to small pieces by scraping; to grate.
10. 10
    To shave (someone or part of their body) with a razor, etc.
11. 11
    To cut, scratch, or tear (someone or something) with a sharp object; to lacerate, to slash.
12. 12
    To carve lines, marks, etc., into something.
13. 13
    To graze or rub lightly along a surface.
14. 14
    To penetrate through something; to pierce.
15. 15
    Of a horse: to wear down its corner teeth as it ages, losing the black marks in their crevices.

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English rasen, racen, rase (“to scrape; to shave; to erase; to pull; to strip off; to pluck or tear out; to root out (a tree, etc.); to pull away, snatch; to pull down; to knock down; to rend, tear apart; to pick clean, strip; to cleave, slice; to sever; to lacerate; to pierce; to carve, engrave; to dig; (figurative) to expunge, obliterate; to alter”), from Anglo-Norman raser, rasere, rasser, Middle French raser, and Old French raser (“to shave; to touch lightly, graze; to level off (grain, etc.) in a measure; to demolish, tear down; to erase; to polish; to wear down”), from Vulgar Latin *raso (“to shave; to scrape; to scratch; to touch lightly, graze”), from Latin rāsus (“scraped; shaved”), the perfect passive participle of rādō (“to scrape, scratch; to shave; to rub, smooth; to brush along, graze”). Doublet of rash (etymology 2 and etymology 7). The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

Frequently Asked Questions