Defn: Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. [Obs. or
Poetic]
Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies. Milton.
RATH; RATHE
Rath, Rathe, adv.
Defn: Early; soon; betimes. [Obs. or Poetic]
Why rise ye up so rathe Chaucer.
Too rathe cut off by practice criminal. Spencer.
RATHER
Rath"er, a. Etym: [Compar. of Rath, a.]
Defn: Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.]
Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. Sir J. Mandeville.
RATHER Rath"er, adv. Etym: [AS. hrathor, compar. of hrathe, hræ\'ebe, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a.]
1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.] Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. Chaucer. A good mean to come the rather to grace. Foxe.
2. More readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. Job vii. 15.
3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26.
4. Of two alternatives conceived of, by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat. He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain, And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain. Dryden.