<B>rush</B> (1), verb, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to move with speed or force. <BR> <I>Ex. to rush from the room. The river rushed past. We rushed to the station. Our sail was now set, and, with the still rising wind, we rushed along (Herman Melville).</I> (SYN) dash, hurry, speed. <DD><B> 2. </B>to run forward to make an attack. <BR> <I>Ex. The crazed man rushed at the doctor who was trying to help him. (Figurative.) All his creditors would have come rushing on him in a body (Thackeray).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to come, go, pass, or act with speed or haste. <BR> <I>Ex. color rushing to the face, (Figurative.) Thoughts rushing through the mind. (Figurative.) He rushes into things without knowing anything about them.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to send, push, force, or carry with speed or haste. <BR> <I>Ex. Rush this order, please. We rushed him home before the rain began. The sick child was rushed to the hospital.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to attack, overcome, or take with much speed and force. <BR> <I>Ex. They rushed the enemy.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to urge to hurry. <BR> <I>Ex. Don't rush me.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(U.S. Informal.) to give much attention to, especially to persuade to join a fraternity or sorority. <BR> <I>Ex. There were a lot of students who weren't rushed or pledged who found solace in the Y ... or musical clubs (Eva Thompson).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to advance (a football) by running. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of rushing; dash. <BR> <I>Ex. The rush of the flood swept everything before it. The little girl told her sad story in a rush of tears. There was a general rush of the men towards the beach (Herman Melville).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>busy haste; hurry. <BR> <I>Ex. the rush of city life. So sorry to have kept you waiting, but we're rather in a rush to-day (G. K. Chesterton).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the great or sudden effort of many people to go somewhere or get something. <BR> <I>Ex. the gold rush. The Christmas rush is hard on clerks.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>eager demand; pressure. <BR> <I>Ex. a rush for tickets to a play. A rush of business kept everyone working hard.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>an attempt to carry the ball through the opposing line in football. <DD><B> 6. </B>(U.S.) a scrimmage held as a form of sport between groups or classes of students. <DD><B> 7. </B>an attack. <BR> <I>Ex. The infantry rush which followed captured them (John Buchan).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(U.S. Informal.) a rushing, as for a fraternity or sorority. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>requiring speed. <BR> <I>Ex. A rush order must be filled at once.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S. Informal.) of or having to do with rushing. <BR> <I>Ex. rush week for all sororities.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>rushes,</B> </I>the first filmed scenes of a part of a motion picture, projected especially for the approval of the director. <BR> <I>Ex. Sometimes ... I'm not satisfied with the rushes and they let me dub in new lines (Clifton Webb).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>with a rush,</B> </I>suddenly; quickly. <BR> <I>Ex. The Confederate States perceive that they cannot carry all before them with a rush (London Times).</I> noun <B>rusher.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="rush">
<B>rush</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of a family of grasslike plants with pithy or hollow stems, that grow in wet ground or marshy places. Rushes comprise a family of plants. <DD><B> 2. </B>a stem of such a plant, used for making chair seats, baskets, floor mats, and the like. <BR> <I>Ex. A heap of dried leaves and rushes ... for rest at night (Cardinal Newman).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>something of little or no value. </DL>
<A NAME="rushbearing">
<B>rushbearing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an annual ceremony in northern districts of England, consisting of carrying rushes and garlands to the church and strewing the floor or decorating the walls with them, usually a general holiday. </DL>
<A NAME="rushcandle">
<B>rush candle,</B> <B>=rushlight.</B></DL>
<A NAME="rushee">
<B>rushee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal.) a student undergoing rushing in a college. </DL>
<A NAME="rushhour">
<B>rush hour,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the time of day when traffic is heaviest or when trains, buses, and other means of transportation are most crowded. </DL>
<A NAME="rushing">
<B>rushing, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> (U.S. Informal.) <B>1. </B>the act of paying special attention to someone, especially to persuade to join a fraternity or sorority. <BR> <I>Ex. Howard has a normally lively interest in extracurricular activities like ... fraternity and sorority rushing (Life).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the period when fraternity rushing takes place. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>moving or going with speed; dashing. <DD><B> 2. </B>proceeding with great activity. <BR> <I>Ex. a rushing business.</I> adv. <B>rushingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="rushlight">
<B>rushlight, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a candle with a wick made from a rush. </DL>
<A NAME="rushlike">
<B>rushlike, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> like a rush or reed. </DL>
<A NAME="rushline">
<B>rush line,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the forward line in football; line. </DL>
<A NAME="rushy">
<B>rushy, </B>adjective, <B>rushier,</B> <B>rushiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>abounding with rushes; covered with rushes. <BR> <I>Ex. Artemis haunted streams and rushy pools (Maurice Hewlett).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>made of rushes. <BR> <I>Ex. my rushy couch (Oliver Goldsmith).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>like rushes. <BR> <I>Ex. rushy herbs.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="rusineantler">
<B>rusine antler,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an antler with a single brow tine and a simple fork at the end of the main stem. </DL>
<A NAME="rusinurbe">
<B>rus in urbe,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Latin.) the country in the city. </DL>
<A NAME="rusk">
<B>rusk, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a piece of bread or cake toasted in the oven. <DD><B> 2. </B>a kind of light, soft, sweet biscuit. </DL>
<A NAME="russ">
<B>Russ, </B>noun, pl. <B>Russ</B> or <B>Russes,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a Russian (used in an unfriendly way). <DD><B> 2. </B>(Rare.) the Russian language. <DD><I>adj. </I> (Rare.) Russian. </DL>
<B>Russell diagram,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Astronomy.) a diagram of the relation between the brightness and temperature of stars; Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. </DL>
<A NAME="russellite">
<B>Russellite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a former name of a member of Jehovah's Witnesses. </DL>
<A NAME="russellsviper">
<B>Russell's viper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large, very poisonous snake with bright reddish-brown spots, common to southeastern Asia. </DL>
<A NAME="russet">
<B>russet, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. <BR> <I>Ex. The leaves in the fall are scarlet, yellow, and russet.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>rustic; homely; simple. <DD><B> 3. </B>made of russet (cloth). <DD><B> 4. </B>made of leather that has not been blackened. <BR> <I>Ex. russet shoes.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a yellowish brown or reddish brown. <DD><B> 2. </B>a coarse, russet-colored cloth. The English peasants used to make and wear russet. <DD><B> 3. </B>a kind of winter apple with a rough, brownish skin. <DD><B> 4. </B>leather that is finished but not polished. </DL>
<A NAME="russetbackedthrush">
<B>russet-backed thrush,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the olive-backed thrush, especially the variety of the Pacific Coast of North America. </DL>
<A NAME="russety">
<B>russety, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of a color like russet. </DL>
<A NAME="russia">
<B>russia, </B>noun. <B>=Russia leather.</B></DL>
<A NAME="russialeather">
<B>Russia leather,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fine, smooth leather, often dark-red, originally produced in Russia by tanning and dyeing and then rubbing with birch oil. </DL>
<A NAME="russian">
<B>Russian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with Russia or the former Soviet Union, the people, or their language. <BR> <I>Ex. The Western world was treated to the first publication ... including the Russian census ... since 1939 (Newsweek).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a person born or living in Russia or, formerly, the Soviet Union, especially a member of the dominant Slavic people. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person of Russian descent. <DD><B> 3. </B>the East Slavic language of Russia, the most widely used of the Slavic languages and the official language of the former Soviet Union. </DL>
<A NAME="russianbath">
<B>Russian bath,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a bath similar to a Turkish bath except that only steam is used. </DL>
<A NAME="russianbluecat">
<B>Russian Blue cat,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any short-haired cat of a breed with thick, bluish-gray fur. </DL>
<A NAME="russianchurch">
<B>Russian Church,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a self-governing branch of the Eastern or Orthodox Church, with its see at Moscow; Russian Orthodox Church. It was the national church of Russia before 1918 and recently has been recognized again. </DL>
<A NAME="russiancross">
<B>Russian cross,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a cross with one or two horizontal bars and one additional bar which slants to the right near the foot. It is used in the Eastern Orthodox Churches. </DL>
<A NAME="russiandesman">
<B>Russian desman,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the desman of Russia, the largest of all molelike mammals, having a length of about 14 inches, including the tail. </DL>
<A NAME="russiandressing">
<B>Russian dressing,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> mayonnaise with chili sauce or ketchup, usually used as a salad dressing. </DL>
<A NAME="russianism">
<B>Russianism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a tendency to favor Russia. <DD><B> 2. </B>prevalence of Russian ideas or spirit. <BR> <I>Ex. Stravinsky ... abandoned his so-called Russianism and began to compose in a style that had sharp classical references (J.B. Kennedy).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a word, phrase, or meaning typically Russian. </DL>
<A NAME="russianization">
<B>Russianization, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of Russianizing. <DD><B> 2. </B>the condition of being Russianized. </DL>
<A NAME="russianize">
<B>Russianize, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to make or become like the Russians, as in customs or language. </DL>
