Part 446

Behold, Damascus . . . shall be a ruinous heap.

Isa. xvii. 1.

Syn. -- Dilapidated; decayed; demolished; pernicious; destructive; baneful; wasteful; mischievous.

-- Ru"in*ous*ly (#), adv. -- Ru"in*ous*ness, n.

Rukh (?), n. [Srr Roc.] 1. The roc.

2. (Zoöl.) A large bird, supposed by some to be the same as the extinct Epiornis of Madagascar. [Obs.]

Rul"a*ble (?), a. That may be ruled; subject to rule; accordant or conformable to rule. Bacon.

Rule (?), n. [OE. reule, riule, OF. riule, reule, F. régle, fr. L. regula a ruler, rule, model, fr. regere, rectum, to lead straight, to direct. See Right, a., and cf. Regular.] 1. That which is prescribed or laid down as a guide for conduct or action; a governing direction for a specific purpose; an authoritative enactment; a regulation; a prescription; a precept; as, the rules of various societies; the rules governing a school; a rule of etiquette or propriety; the rules of cricket.

We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives.

Tillotson.

2. Hence: (a) Uniform or established course of things.

'T is against the rule of nature.

Shak.

(b) Systematic method or practice; as, my ule is to rise at six o'clock. (c) Ordibary course of procedure; usual way; comon state or condition of things; as, it is a rule to which there are many exeptions. (d) Conduct in general; behavior. [Obs.]

This uncivil rule; she shall know of it.

Shak.

3. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control.

Obey them that have the rule over you.

Heb. xiii. 17.

His stern rule the groaning land obeyed.

Pope.

4. (Law) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit. Wharton.

5. (Math.) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result; as, a rule for extracting the cube root.

6. (Gram.) A general principle concerning the formation or use of words, or a concise statement thereof; thus, it is a rule in England, that s or es , added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but "man" forms its plural "men", and is an exception to the rule.

7. (a) A straight strip of wood, metal, or the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line; a ruler. (b) A measuring instrument consisting of a graduated bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded compactly.

A judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule.

South.

8. (Print.) (a) A thin plate of metal (usually brass) of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work. (b) A composing rule. See under Conposing.