<B>roadster, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an automobile having either no top or a collapsible fabric top, a single wide seat, and, often, a rumble seat, common in the 1920's and 1930's. <DD><B> 2. </B>a horse for riding or driving on the roads. <DD><B> 3. </B>(formerly) a bicycle for road use. <DD><B> 4. </B>the driver of a coach. <DD><B> 5. </B>a person accustomed to traveling on the roads. </DL>
<A NAME="roadtest">
<B>road test,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a test of roadworthiness given to a vehicle. <BR> <I>Ex. The car's acceleration is only one of its many attractions, as I found out in a road test (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a test of ability of a driver in actual driving conditions. </DL>
<A NAME="roadtest">
<B>road-test, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to subject to a road test. <BR> <I>Ex. The vehicle has been road-tested at maximum speed and has presented no problems (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="roadtrain">
<B>road train,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a group of trailers pulled by a truck, used to transport cattle and merchandise in parts of Australia where there are no railroads. </DL>
<A NAME="roadway">
<B>roadway, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=road.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>the part of a road used by wheeled vehicles. <BR> <I>Ex. Walk on the path, not in the roadway.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="roadwork">
<B>roadwork, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> running distances along a road or path, as a form of physical training, especially by boxers. <BR> <I>Ex. At five the next morning he is in Central Park, doing his roadwork--five miles in about forty-five minutes every day before breakfast (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="roadworthy">
<B>roadworthy, </B>adjective, <B>-thier,</B> <B>-thiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (of vehicles) in a suitable condition for use on the road. <BR> <I>Ex. Car owners who find that their cars have deteriorated to such an extent that they are no longer roadworthy dispose of them for what they can get (London Times).</I> noun <B>roadworthiness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="roam">
<B>roam, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> to go about with no special plan or aim; wander. <BR> <I>Ex. to roam through the fields. Herds of horses and cattle roamed at will over the plain (George W. Cable). Her eyes were roaming about the room (Hawthorne).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to wander over. <BR> <I>Ex. to roam the earth, to roam a city. Thunder clouds roamed the skies at Taunton yesterday (London Times).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a walk or trip with no special aim; wandering. <BR> <I>Ex. a roam through the house.</I> noun <B>roamer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="roan">
<B>roan, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>yellowish- or reddish-brown sprinkled with gray or white. <DD><B> 2. </B>made of roan leather. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a roan horse or another animal of roan color. <BR> <I>Ex. Beaufort's ... brougham, drawn by a big roan (Edith Wharton).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a soft, flexible leather made from sheepskin, used in bookbinding. <DD><B> 3. </B>a roan color. </DL>
<A NAME="roar">
<B>roar, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to make a loud, deep sound; make a loud noise. <BR> <I>Ex. The lion roared. The bull roared with pain. The wind roared at the windows.</I> (SYN) bellow, bawl, howl, yell. <DD><B> 2. </B>to laugh loudly or without restraint. <BR> <I>Ex. The whole audience roared at the clown.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to move with a roar. <BR> <I>Ex. The train roared past us.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(of a horse) to make a loud sound in breathing. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to utter loudly. <BR> <I>Ex. to roar out an order. The audience ... roared its amusement (Arnold Bennett).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to make or put by roaring. <BR> <I>Ex. The crowd roared itself hoarse.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a loud, deep sound; loud noise. <BR> <I>Ex. the roar of the cannon, a roar of laughter, the roar of a lion, the roar of a jet engine. The roar of the surf breaking upon the beach (Herman Melville).</I> noun <B>roarer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="roaring">
<B>roaring, </B>adjective, adverb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>that roars; extremely loud. <BR> <I>Ex. a roaring lion, a roaring wind.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>characterized by noise or revelry; riotous. <BR> <I>Ex. a roaring party.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Informal.) brisk; successful. <BR> <I>Ex. a roaring trade.</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> extremely; thoroughly. <BR> <I>Ex. roaring drunk.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of a person or thing that roars. <DD><B> 2. </B>a loud cry or sound. <DD><B> 3. </B>a disease of horses that causes them to breathe loudly. adv. <B>roaringly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="roaringforties">
<B>roaring forties,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a rough part of the northern Atlantic Ocean, between 40 degrees and 50 degrees north latitude. <DD><B> 2. </B>the region between 40 degrees and 50 degrees in the south latitude. </DL>
<A NAME="roaringtwenties">
<B>Roaring Twenties,</B> <B>=Jazz Age </B>(def. 2).</DL>
<A NAME="roast">
<B>roast, </B>verb, noun adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cook by dry heat; cook before a fire or in an oven; bake. <BR> <I>Ex. We roasted meat and potatoes.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to prepare by heating. <BR> <I>Ex. to roast coffee, roast a metal ore.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to make very hot. <BR> <I>Ex. Making a roaring fire, I roasted myself for half an hour, turning like a duck on a spit (Weir Mitchell).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Informal, Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>to make fun of; ridicule. <BR> <I>Ex. Editorial writers roasted her (one decided she was "mentally retarded") (Maclean's).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to reprove; criticize severely. <BR> <I>Ex. The Administration's high-level Business Advisory Council will be roasted by the House anti-monopoly subcommittee for refusing to produce its files for inspection (Newsweek).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to be cooked by dry heat; be baked. <BR> <I>Ex. Put the meat in the oven to roast.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to be prepared by heating. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to become very hot. <BR> <I>Ex. I roasted before the fire.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a piece of roasted meat, or a piece of meat to be roasted. <BR> <I>Ex. to buy a roast for Sunday dinner.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the act or process of roasting. <DD><B> 3. </B>an informal outdoor meal, at which some food is cooked over an open fire. <BR> <I>Ex. a hot dog roast.</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> roasted. <BR> <I>Ex. roast beef, roast pork.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>rule the roast,</B> </I>to be master, especially master of affairs in the home. <BR> <I>Ex. He had it all his own way, and ruled the roast ... right royally (Charles Kingsley).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="roaster">
<B>roaster, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a pan used in roasting. <DD><B> 2. </B>a chicken, a young pig, or something else fit to be roasted. <DD><B> 3. </B>a person or thing that roasts. </DL>
<A NAME="roasting">
<B>roasting, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>that roasts. <DD><B> 2. </B>exceedingly hot; scorching. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act or process of cooking by dry heat. <DD><B> 2. </B>a type of extractive metallurgy which removes sulfur and other impurities from the ore. </DL>
<A NAME="rob">
<B>rob, </B>verb, <B>robbed,</B> <B>robbing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to take away from by force or threats; steal from; plunder; pillage. <BR> <I>Ex. Thieves robbed the bank of thousands of dollars. The tramps robbed the orchard.</I> (SYN) loot. <DD><B> 2. </B>to steal. <BR> <I>Ex. Some children robbed fruit from the orchard.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. The disease had robbed him of his strength. Laryngitis robbed me of my voice. The shock of the explosion had robbed him of speech and movement (Joseph Conrad).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to steal; commit robbery. <BR> <I>Ex. He said he would not rob again.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>rob one blind,</B> </I>(Slang.) to steal from someone who is unaware and, usually, trusting. <BR> <I>Ex. She [owned] the bar concession and the bartender was robbing her blind (Atlantic).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>rob Peter to pay Paul.</B> </I>See under <B>Peter.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="robalo">
<B>robalo, </B>noun, pl. <B>-los</B> or (collectively) <B>-lo.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a family of carnivorous fishes. Some varieties, such as the snook, are esteemed as food. </DL>
<A NAME="roband">
<B>roband, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a short piece of spun yarn or other material used to secure a sail to a yard, gaff, or the like. Also, <B>robbin.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="robber">
<B>robber, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who robs. </DL>
<A NAME="robberbaron">
<B>robber baron,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a noble of former times who took property unfairly, especially from travelers through his lands. <DD><B> 2. </B>an American capitalist, in the late 1800's, who acquired wealth through ruthless business methods. </DL>
<A NAME="robbercrab">
<B>robber crab,</B> <B>=coconut crab.</B></DL>
<A NAME="robberfly">
<B>robber fly,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a family of large, swift flies which prey upon other insects; bee killer. </DL>
<A NAME="robberfrog">
<B>robber frog,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large frog of Texas found among the rocks on riverbanks. It has a cry like the bark of a dog. </DL>
<A NAME="robbery">
<B>robbery, </B>noun, pl. <B>-beries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of robbing; theft; stealing. <BR> <I>Ex. a bank robbery.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Law.) the felonious taking of property of another from his person or from his immediate presence, against his will, by violence or threats. </DL>
