Part 50

Rash, n. [Cf. F. ras short-nap cloth, It. & Sp. raso satin (cf. Rase); or cf. It. rascia serge, G. rasch, probably fr. Arras in France (cf. Arras).] An inferior kind of silk, or mixture of silk and worsted. [Obs.] Donne.

Rash, a. [Compar. Rasher (-r); superl. Rashest.] [Probably of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. & Sw. rask quick, brisk, rash, Icel. röskr vigorous, brave, akin to D. & G. rasch quick, of uncertain origin.] 1. Sudden in action; quick; hasty. [Obs.] "Strong as aconitum or rash gunpowder." Shak.

2. Requiring sudden action; pressing; urgent. [Obs.]

I scarce have leisure to salute you, My matter is so rash.

Shak.

3. Esp., overhasty in counsel or action; precipitate; resolving or entering on a project or measure without due deliberation and caution; opposed to prudent; said of persons; as, a rash statesman or commander.

4. Uttered or undertaken with too much haste or too little reflection; as, rash words; rash measures.

5. So dry as to fall out of the ear with handling, as corn. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.

Syn. -- Precipitate; headlong; headstrong; foolhardy; hasty; indiscreet; heedless; thoughtless; incautious; careless; inconsiderate; unwary. -- Rash, Adventurous, Foolhardy. A man is adventurous who incurs risk or hazard from a love of the arduous and the bold. A man is rash who does it from the mere impulse of his feelings, without counting the cost. A man is foolhardy who throws himself into danger in disregard or defiance of the consequences.

Was never known a more adventurous knight.

Dryden.

Her rash hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat.

Milton.

If any yet be so foolhardy To expose themselves to vain jeopardy; If they come wounded off, and lame, No honor 's got by such a maim.

Hudibras.

Rash (rsh), v. t. To prepare with haste. [Obs.] Foxe.

Rash"er (-r), n. [In sense 1, probably fr. rash, a., as being hastily cooked.] 1. A thin slice of bacon.

2. (Zoöl.) A California rockfish (Sebastichthys miniatus).

Rash"ful (-fl), a. Rash; hasty; precipitate. [Obs.]

Rash"ling (-lng), n. A rash person. [Obs.]

Rash"ly, adv. In a rash manner; with precipitation.

He that doth anything rashly, must do it willingly; for he was free to deliberate or not.

L'Estrange.

Rash"ness, n. The quality or state of being rash.

We offend . . . by rashness, which is an affirming or denying, before we have sufficiently informed ourselves.

South.

Syn. -- Temerity; foolhardiness; precipitancy; precipitation; hastiness; indiscretion; heedlessness; inconsideration; carelessness. See Temerity.

||Ras*kol"nik (rs*kl"nk), n. [Russ. raskolenik' schismatic, heretic.] ||(Eccl.) One of the separatists or dissenters from the established or ||Greek church in Russia. [Written also rascolnik.]