▪ I. roar, n.1
(rɔə(r))
Forms: α. 4–7 rore; 7 roare, 7– roar. β. Sc. 5 rare, 5–6, 8 (9 north.) rair.
[f. the stem of OE. rárian, ME. rōren, to roar. Cf. OE. wulfa-ᵹerár in O.E. Martyrol. 16. In later English use perh. re-formed from the vb.]
1. a. A full, deep, prolonged cry uttered by a lion or other large beast; a loud and deep sound uttered by one or more persons, esp. as an expression of pain or anger.
| α 1390 Gower Conf. III. 74 A dragoun..Com in rampende among hem alle With such a noise and such a rore. c 1400 Destr. Troy 8518 Þen Andromaca..With a rufull rore rent of hir clothis. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 17964 Many boles & bores, With lowyng & with loude rores. |
| 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 315 Sure it was the roare Of a whole heard of Lyons. 1637 Milton Lycidas 61 The rout that made the hideous roar. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 590 The slipp'ry God..will seem a bristly Boar, Or imitate the Lion's angry Roar. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 443 Very bad music, badly executed, being rather roars or squalls than songs. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 201 They all seize it with a bound, at the same time expressing their fierce pleasure with a roar. 1832 Tennyson Œnone 210 The panther's roar came muffled, while I sat Low in the valley. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xxii, A roar of hired applause interrupted him. 1887 Bowen Virg. æneid ii. 413 With a roar of wrath at the maiden's rescue..Greeks..flew to assail us. |
| β c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iii. vi. 872 Thai rowpyd wytht a rare at anys. c 1450 Holland Howlat 826 The barde..Ran fast to the dure, and gaif a gret rair. 1513 Douglas æneis i. ii. 11 About thar closouris braying with mony rair. c 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xiv. 116 The Babe he gifis ane rair. 1728 Ramsay Last Sp. Miser xxix, With a rair, Away his wretched spirit flew. 18.. in Heslop Northumberland Gloss. (1894) 562 The yow gav a blare, an' Robin a rair. |
† b. Rumour. Obs. rare—1.
| c 1520 Vox Populi 88 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 271 The encrease was never more. Thus goythe the voyce and rore. And truthe yt is indeade. |
c. A boisterous outburst of laughter; also ellipt. for this, esp. in echoes of the Shaksperian phrase belonging to roar n.2 b.
| 1778 Phil. Surv. S. Irel. 424 His flashes of wit and humour keep the table in a roar. 1803 Pic Nic (1806) I. 158 [He] kept the company in a roar of laughter. 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. (1863) 210 He was once in danger of being turned out of the gallery for setting all around him in a roar. 1891 Kipling Light that Failed (1900) 203 A roar of laughter interrupted him. |
2. transf. a. The loud sound of cannon, thunder, a storm, the sea, or other inanimate agents.
| 1548 Patten Exped. Scotl. G v, With..horrible rore and terrible thunderinge of gunnes. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche iv. 5998 Than, with ane rair, the erth sall ryve, And swolly thame. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xiii. 713 The floods of troubled aire to pitchie stormes increase,..Encountring with abhorred roares. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 586 Those deep-throated Engins.., whose roar Emboweld with outragious noise the Air. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. ix. 58 Come then, and leave the Waves tumultuous roar. c 1764 Gray Owen 26 Talymalfra's rocky shore Echoing to the battle's roar. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xii, The roar of these waters has made my head dizzy already. 1816 Byron Ch. Har. iii. xxii, Arm! Arm! it is..the cannon's opening roar! 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. xxiv. 245 We see its deep indigo horizon, and hear its roar against the icy beach. 1887 Bowen Virg. Ecl. v. 84 When the rock-strewn valley resounds to the torrent's roar. |
b. to go with a roar, to make uninterrupted progress or be a conspicuous success. colloq.
| 1845 Dickens Let. 6 Aug. (1977) IV. 347 It was a most prodigious success; and went, with a roar, all through. 1903 G. B. Shaw Let. 12 June (1972) II. 331 ‘The Admirable Bashville’..went with a roar from beginning to end. 1907 Punch 1 May 308/2 Everything went with a roar. |
▪ II. † roar, n.2 Obs.
Forms: α. 5–6 roore, 5–7 rore. β. 6 roare.
[a. MDu. roer, = OS. hrôra (LG. rôre, rôr), OHG. ruora (MHG. ruore, G. ruhr), related to OE. and OS. hrór stirring, active: see also rore v. and cf. uproar. The rime of rore: pore (= poor) in Chaucer proves that the word is different from roar n.1]
Confusion, tumult, disturbance. Only in phrases in, on, upon a roar (cf. MDu. in roere zijn, bringen, stellen, etc.).
| α c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 45 Whi nyl I brynge alle Troie vpon a rore? c 1440 Promp. Parv. 436/2 Rore, or truble amonge þe puple, tumultus, commotio. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xx. 456 For therof ye shall see all fraunce in a rore and trowble. 1513 More Chron., Rich. III (1883) 15 Thus should all the realme fall on a rore. 1526 Tindale Acts xix. 29 The cite was on a roore. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 292 The people beeyng in a greate rore willed enquierie..to be made who it was. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 2 By your Art..you haue Put the wild waters in this Rore. |
| β 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John viii. 59 When all should be set on a roare. 1561 J. Daus tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 167 The Ephesians, which were all on a roare and worse than mad. 1563 Mirr. Mag., Blacksmith xlix, When I perceyved the Commons in a roare. |
b. A wild outburst of mirth. (Perh. associated with roar n.1, as in modern use: see prec. 1 c.)
| 1602 Shakes. Ham. v. i. 211 Where be your Iibes now?.. Your flashes of Merriment that were wont to set the Table on a Rore. |
▪ III. roar, v.
(rɔə(r))
Forms: α. 1 rárian, 3 rarin, 4–6, 8 rare (5 rar), 5– rair (5 rayr), 9 dial. rear. β. 4 roren, 5 rory, 3–7 rore, 5–6 roor(e, 6–7 roare, 6– roar.
[OE. rárian, = MDu. reeren, reren (still in dial. use), MLG. râren (LG. raren, reren, rären), OHG. rêrên (MHG. rêren, G. rehren), probably of imitative origin.]
1. a. intr. Of persons: To utter a very loud and deep or hoarse cry (or cries), esp. under the influence of rage, pain, or great excitement; to vociferate, to shout, to yell.
| α a 900 O.E. Martyrol. 192 Hwilum hy him raredon on swa hryðro. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. Introd. 7 Stefn leas in woestern..rarende vel bellende. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 66 Seo dreoriᵹe modor..rariᵹende hi astrehte æt þæs halᵹan apostoles fotum. a 1225 Juliana 48 He [began] to rarin reowliche ant te ȝuren ant te ȝeien. a 1300 Cursor M. 16104 Ne heres þou noght on ilk-a side hu þai apon þe rar. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 7341 Þe devels obout þam þan in helle, On þam salle ever-mare rare and yhelle. 1375 Barbour Bruce v. 97 Thai that na defens mycht mak, Full pitwisly couth rair and cry. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5358 He rared and cryed so orribilly þat his neghburs..þar of þaim vggyd. 1483 Cath. Angl. 300/1 To Rare (or grete, A.), vagire. 1513 Douglas æneis v. xi. 26 All togidder gan to weip and rair. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 92 b, I am afflicted,..I rarit for ye disquietnes of my hart. 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 24 They..skreem'd, and raird beyond all ayme. 1717 Ramsay Elegy on Lucky Wood xi, That a' the warld might hear the din Rair frae ilk head. 1809 T. Donaldson Poems 146 What maks ye thus to rant an' rair? 1894 Heslop Northumbld. Gloss. s.v. Rair, Whativver is he rairin there at? |
| β c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 99/238 Þo gan þe Aumperur for wrathþe loude ȝeolle and rore. c 1300 Havelok 2438 He bunden him ful swiþe faste,..Þat he rorede als a bole. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 390 Summe..stared to þe heuen, Rwly wyth a loud rurd rored for drede. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 398 He..his brest knocked, And roxed and rored. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 15726 The stour was strong, the cry was gret, Thei rored grisly. c 1440 York Myst. xxxvii. 99 Why rooris þou soo, rebalde? 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 214 b, Rorynge and cryenge, Ryse you wretches and come to your iudgement. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 286 You..roared for mercy, and still ranne and roar'd. 1624 Quarles Job Militant xvii. 14 Th' afflicted..Roare to Heavens, unanswer'd, for reliefe. 1676 Hobbes Iliad (1677) 105 But Priam had forbidden them to roar Or cry outright, though grieved at their hearts. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 37 ¶4 This Sort of Fellows, who Roar instead of Speaking. 1722 De Foe Col. Jack ii, Then I cried, nay, roared out, I was in such a passion. 1838 Miss Maitland Lett. fr. Madras (1843) 237 She has nothing to do but to roar long enough and loud enough, and she is sure to get her own way. 1895 ‘M. Field’ Attila iv. 106 Although the host of warriors roared and stamped Acclaimingly. |
| fig. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon x. 261 His hert rored in his beli for ioye. |
† b. To shout in revelry; to revel boisterously; to behave in a noisy, riotous manner. Also with it.
| 1584 Lyly Sappho ii. iii. 108 To th' Tap-house then lets gang, and rore. 1592 ― Gallathea i. iv. 88 What shall wee doe being toss'd to shore? Milke some blinde Tauerne, and (there) roare. 1629 Dekker Londons Tempe (Percy Soc.) 48 The gallant roares; roarers drinke oathes and gall. 1656 Hammond Leah & Rachel (1844) 9 Such as..could babble in a Pulpit, roare in a Tavern. c 1670 Roxb. Ball. (1890) VII. 37 We rant and rore it, night and day, we spend and never spare. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) I. 58 These have nothing to do but..to riot it, to roar it. 1763 Churchill Apol. Poems 1767 I. 68 If they in cellar or in garret roar. |
c. To shout with laughter; to laugh boisterously, loudly, or without restraint.
| 1815 B. Wynne Diary 28 July (1940) III. xii. 378 The Girls, who roared the whole way, laughing at the odd vehicle. 1828 T. Creevey Let. 3 Mar. in J. Gore Creevey's Life & Times (1934) xii. 260 Brougham's letter is..in folly and insanity by no means inferior to his former effusions. We both roared at it. 1842 Lever J. Hinton iii, The whole party were roaring with laughter. 1884 Punch 12 Apr. 179/1 New members..roared when he shook his hand over his head. 1893 Idler 410, I read ‘Robert Elsmere’ and roared over it. |
2. a. Of animals (esp. of lions): To utter a loud deep cry. Also with out.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter xxi. 12 Þair mouth ouer me þai ware openand, Als lioun reuand and rorand. c 1350 Will. Palerne 86 Whan þe best þe barn missed..Reuliche gan he rore & rente al his hide. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 242 Lions, beres, bath bull and bare, That rewfully gan rope and rare. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 437/1 Rooryn, as beestys, rugio. 1530 Palsgr. 694/1, I roore, I yell, as a beest dothe, je braye. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 39 The suyne began to quhryne quhen thai herd the asse rair. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage ii. xx. (1614) 223 A Lion in the wood..roared so dernely. a 1720 Sewel Hist. Quakers (1795) I. iv. 272 When the mouths of lions roared against me. 1782 Cowper J. Gilpin 206 Whereat his horse did snort, as he Had heard a lion roar. 1827 D. Johnson Ind. Field Sports 101 A tiger roared out. 1896 Kipling Seven Seas, Rhyme Three Sealers, The great man-seal haul out of the sea, aroaring, band by band. |
| fig. 1645 Harwood Loyal Subj. Retiring-room 23 Doe but permit Luther to keep close, till the Popes Bull hath done roaring. |
† b. transf. Of sheep, birds, or bees. Obs.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. iv. (1495) 751 The lambe knoweth his owne moder in somoche that yf she rorith amonge many shepe in a flocke, anone by bletyng he knowyth the voys of his owne moder. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 114 He lay at the plunge evirmair, Sa lang as any ravin did rair. 1759 Phil. Trans. LI. 300, Jan. 15, the bees roared, and were as busy as they are in the height of the working season. 1790 Burns Elegy on Henderson viii, Ye bitterns, till the quagmire reels, Rair for his sake. |
c. Of horses: To make a loud sound in breathing. Cf. roarer1 2 and roaring vbl. n. 3.
| 1880 W. Day Racehorse in Training 40 At the Cape of Good Hope, I am told, horses never roar. 1889 Yorks. Post 25 Nov. 3/5 The tendency to roar is not a matter of heredity. |
3. a. Of cannon, thunder, wind, the sea, or other inanimate agents: To make a loud noise or din.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 6569 When þey were in deppest flod,..Ros a tempest, rorande loude. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1219 Dido, The thundyr rorede with a gresely steuene. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xiv. v. 648 He came to a rough water the whiche roryd. 1530 Palsgr. 693/2, I roore, as the see dothe whan there bloweth any storme, je gronce. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xvii. 170 Our cair may moue the stonis And hauie rockis to rair. 1617 Middleton & Rowley Fair Quarrel iv. i, Does not the winds roar, the sea roar, the welkin roar? 1669 Earl Winchilsea Relat. Mt. Etna 24 On Friday the 22, the Mountain again roared with much loudness. 1718 Pope Iliad xiii. 166 Hark! the gates burst, the brazen barriers roar! 1764 Museum Rust. III. 223, I caused the fire to be gradually encreased till it roared again in the furnace. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxxvi, The ship..went roaring through the waves. 1861 Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. xli, The faggot blazed and crackled, and roared up the chimney. |
b. Of a place: To resound or echo with noise.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 2023 Whan it was day he broghte hym to the halle, That roreth of the criyng and the soun. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 871 Confounded Chaos roard, And felt tenfold confusion in thir fall. |
c. Curling. To send a stone with great speed.
| 1786 Burns Tam Samson v, To guard, or draw, or wick a bore, Or up the rink like Jehu roar. 1817 Lintoun Green 38 Roaring up the rink he flies, The guarded tee to clear. |
d. To pass away with a loud noise.
| 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. III. 969 His appetite was bad, his breathing was short, wind would occasionally ‘roar away’ and then the distension lessened. |
e. To travel on a vehicle which is making a loud noise; to motor rapidly. Also fig.
| 1923 Motor Cycling 26 Sept. 658/3 Marsden roared through on his last lap. 1951 Amer. Speech XXVI. 230/2 Wesleyan roars to victory. 1958 B. Nichols Sweet & Twenties x. 128 They were all roaring off to Ascot. 1963 New Yorker 15 June 58 George Rotan..roared back to win eleven of the next twelve. 1970 P. Laurie Scotland Yard iii. 69 The one getting in slams the door and roars off, nearly running my mate over. 1973 Times 22 Jan. 9/8 The closest he came to betraying anxiety last evening was when he suddenly started roaring ahead. |
4. a. trans. To utter or proclaim loudly; to shout (out). Also fig.
| c 1400 Apol. Loll. (Camden) 58 Houndis and woluis roryn þe psalmis, os were woluis criyng ilk to oþer. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1367/2 The popes bull hath roared it so to be. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. i. 40 That..makes him rore these Accusations forth. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. i. 7 Long before this time, she had roared it even into the ears of deaf men. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 279 Nor will they themselves disdain to take up a Tabor and Roar out a Song. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 78 He shall roar forth Death and Destruction about the hoisting of a Water-cask. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones xv. v, Roared forth the word daughter. 1810 Crabbe Borough xix. 77 What time the many, that unruly beast, Roars its rough joy. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xiii, The songs those young fellows were roaring. 1850 ― Pendennis xxxi[i], ‘Oh, never mind,’ Bungay roared out with a great laugh. 1878 Tennyson Revenge v, Sir Richard spoke,..and we roar'd a hurrah. |
b. With complement: To force, call, bring, render, etc., by roaring.
| 1617 Middleton & Rowley Fair Quarrel iv. i, We'll roar the rusty rascal out of his tobacco. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. v. i, [He] roars up Symon frae his kindly rest. 1777 Dr. Taylor in Boswell (Globe) 411/1 He will not hear you, and having a louder voice than you, must roar you down. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian vii, Paulo, who had roared himself hoarse, was very willing to be silent. |
c. Const. up. To abuse, to reprimand. slang (chiefly Austral.).
| 1919 W. H. Downing Digger Dial. 42 Roar up, upbraid; abuse. 1925 Fraser & Gibbons Soldier & Sailor Words 244 Roar up, to abuse. 1944 W. E. Harney Taboo (ed. 2) 63, I roared him up, but it was no good. 1947 N. Lindsay Halfway to Anywhere 69 Bill was able to roar him up, anyway, for having the blinkin' cheek to come shoving his nose into Bill's affairs. 1962 [see roaring forties 2]. |