Ribes, ribz, n.sing. and pl. a currant, currants.—n.sing. Ribes (rī′bēz), a genus of shrubs belonging to the natural order Ribesiaceæ, familiar examples of which are the garden Gooseberry and the Currant. [O. Fr. ribes—Low L. ribus—Ar. rībēs, rībās.]
Ribibe, rib-īb′, n. (obs.) a rebec: an old woman.—v.i. to play on a ribibe. [Rebec.]
Ribston-pippin, rib′ston-pip′in, n. a fine variety of winter apple—from Ribston in Yorkshire, where Sir Henry Goodricke (1642-1705) first introduced them.
Ricardian, ri-kär′di-an, adj. pertaining to the political economist David Ricardo (1772-1823), or his theory.
Ricasso, ri-kas′ō, n. that part of a rapier-blade next to the hilt. [Ety. unknown.]
Riccia, rik′si-a, n. a genus of cryptogamous plants. [From the Italian botanist P. Francisco Ricci.]
Rice, rīs, n. one of the most useful and extensively cultivated of grains, like oats when ripe.—ns. Rice′-bird, the reed-bird: the paddy bird or Java sparrow; Rice′-bis′cuit, a sweet biscuit made of flour mixed with rice; Rice′-dust, Rice′-meal, the refuse of rice, a valuable food for cattle; Rice′-field-mouse, the rice-rat; Rice′-flour, a ground rice for puddings, for a face-powder, &c.; Rice′-glue, a cement made by boiling rice-flour in soft water; Rice′-hen, the common American gallinule; Rice′-milk, milk boiled and thickened with rice; Rice′-pā′per, a white smooth paper, made by the Chinese from the pith of Fatsia (Aralia) papyrifera, a tree peculiar to Formosa; Rice′-plant′er, an implement for sowing rice; Rice′-pound′er, a rice-mill; Rice′-pudd′ing, a pudding made of rice and milk, sweetened, often with eggs, raisins, &c.; Rice′-soup, a soup of rice with flour, &c.; Rice′-stitch, an embroidery-stitch resembling rice in grain; Rice′-wa′ter, water in which rice has been boiled—a nourishing drink for invalids; Rice′-wee′vil, a weevil that destroys stored rice, &c. [O. Fr. ris—L. oryza—Gr. oryza, from Old Pers., whence also Ar. uruzz, ruzz.]
Ricercata, rē-cher-kä′ta, n. a very elaborate form of fugue. [It. ricercare, to search out.]
Rich, rich (comp. Rich′er, superl. Rich′est), adj. abounding in possessions: wealthy: valuable: sumptuous: fertile: full of agreeable or nutritive qualities: affluent: productive, as a rich mine: costly: mighty: ruling: ample: of superior quality: luxurious: of great moral worth: highly seasoned or flavoured, as rich pastry: bright, as a colour: full of harmonious sounds, as a rich voice: full of beauty, as a rich landscape: of a vivid colour: extravagant, as a rich joke.—v.t. (Shak.) to enrich.—v.i. to grow rich.—v.i. Rich′en, to become rich, or of higher quality of any kind.—adj. Rich′-left (Shak.), left with much wealth, richly endowed.—adv. Rich′ly.—n. Rich′ness, wealth: abundance: fruitfulness: value: costliness: abundance of imagery. [A.S. ríce, rich; Ger. reich, Dut. rijk, Goth. reiks.]
Richardia, ri-chär′di-a, n. a small genus of South African herbs of the Arum family, including the calla-lily. [From the French botanists, L. C. M. Richard (1754-1821) and his son.]