Ru`di*men"ta*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. rudimentaire.] 1. Of or pertaining to rudiments; consisting in first principles; elementary; initial; as, rudimental essays.
2. (Biol.) Very imperfectly developed; in an early stage of development; embryonic.
Rud"ish (?), a. Somewhat rude. Foote.
Ru*dis"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. rudis rough.] (Paleon.) An extinct order or suborder of bivalve mollusks characteristic of the Cretaceous period; -- called also Rudista. See Illust. under Hippurite.
Ru"di*ty (?), n. [L. ruditas ignorance, fr. rudis rude, illiterate.] Rudeness; ignorance. [R.]
Rud"mas*day (?), n. [See Rood, Mass, Day.] (R.C.Ch.) Either of the feasts of the Holy Cross, occuring on May 3 and September 14, annually.
Ru*dolph"ine (?), a. Pertaining to, or designating, a set of astronomical tables computed by Kepler, and founded on the observations of Tycho Brahe; -- so named from Rudolph II., emperor of Germany.
Rue (?), n. [F. rue, L. ruta, akin to Gr. &?;; cf. AS. r&?;de.] 1. (Bot.) A perennial suffrutescent plant (Ruta graveolens), having a strong, heavy odor and a bitter taste; herb of grace. It is used in medicine.
Then purged with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see.
Milton.
They [the exorcists] are to try the devil by holy water, incense, sulphur, rue, which from thence, as we suppose, came to be called herb of grace.
Jer. Taylor.
2. Fig.: Bitterness; disappointment; grief; regret.
Goat's rue. See under Goat. -- Rue anemone, a pretty springtime flower (Thalictrum anemonides) common in the United States. -- Wall rue, a little fern (Asplenium Ruta- muraria) common on walls in Europe.
Rue, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rued (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Ruing.] [OE. rewen, reouwen, to grive, make sorry, AS. hreówan; akin to OS. hrewan, D. rouwen, OHG. hriuwan, G. reun, Icel. hruggr grieved, hrugð sorrow. √ 18. Cf. Ruth.] 1. To lament; to regret extremely; to grieve for or over. Chaucer.
I wept to see, and rued it from my heart.
Chapmen.
Thy will Chose freely what it now so justly rues.
Milton.
2. To cause to grieve; to afflict. [Obs.] "God wot, it rueth me." Chaucer.
3. To repent of, and withdraw from, as a bargain; to get released from. [Prov. Eng.]
Rue, v. i. 1. To have compassion. [Obs.]
God so wisly [i. e., truly] on my soul rue.
Chaucer.
Which stirred men's hearts to rue upon them.
Ridley.
2. To feel sorrow and regret; to repent.
Work by counsel and thou shalt not rue.
The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section R · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.