▪ I. † raze, n.1 Obs.
[f. raze v. Cf. rase n.1, race n.3]
A slash, scratch, cut, slit.
| 1610 Markham Masterp. ii. c. 383 If you make two razes on each side, it shall bee so much the better. 1656 Sanderson Serm. (1689) 370 A man had better receive twenty wounds in his good Name, than but a single raze in his Conscience. |
▪ II. † raze, n.2 Obs. rare—1.
(See quot.)
| a 1728 Woodward Fossils 54 The Tin-Veins..are either in Strata of Growan, or of that grey, Talky, Slaty Stone, that the Tinners call Killas, Raze, or Delvin. |
▪ III. raze, v.
(reɪz)
[var. rase v.1 Cf. also race v.3]
† 1. trans. To scratch, cut, slit, etc. = rase v.1 1. Obs. (Common in 17th c.)
| 1587 Turberv. Trag. T. (1837) 279 His death did raze hir harte. 1610 Markham Masterp. ii. c. 382 Then raze both the quarters of the hoofe with a drawing-knife,..so deepe that you may see the dew come foorth. 1684 R. Waller Nat. Exper. 102 It appeared rough, as if it had been prettily razed with the point of a Diamond. |
b. esp. (often with limiting word expressed): To cut or wound slightly, to graze (the skin, a part of the body, etc.).
| a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1629) 314 The point swirved and razed him but on the side. 1667 South Serm., Chance (1715) 317 Might not the Bullet, that perhaps razed his Cheek, have as easily gone into his Head? 1719 Young Busiris v. i, I could not bear To raze thy skin to save the world from ruin. 1808 Scott Marm. iii. xxiv, Yet did a splinter of his lance Through Alexander's visor glance, And razed the skin—a puny wound. |
2. To remove by scraping; to scrape off or out; to cut or shave off. Now rare.
| 1567 Turberv. Epit. etc. 33 Drowsie drouping Age..With pensiue Plough will raze your hue. 1669 W. Simpson Hydrol. Chym. 361 Earths..which the..salt in the water razeth off from several rocks. a 1708 Beveridge Thes. Theol. (1711) III. 347 Drunkenness..razeth out the image of God, and stampeth the image of beasts upon us. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles vi. xxxii, An axe has razed his crest. |
| 1871 Palgrave Lyr. Poems 14 Most men raze her stamp, and prove untrue. |
3. spec. To erase or obliterate (writing, etc.) by scraping or otherwise. ? Obs.
| 1581 Savile Tacitus, Hist. iii. xxxi. (1591) 132 The principall men..razed Vitellius name, and defaced his images. 1627 Hakewill Apol. (1630) 100 [They deserve] their writings to bee razed with sponges. 1646 J. Hall Poems i. 67 Now I will raze those Characters I wrote. 1709 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. II. 489 The clause formerly razed..is agreed to be kept in the bill. |
b. Const. out adv.; from, out of preps.
| 1577 Fenton Gold. Epist. 74 He hath razed them out of the register of heauen. 1641 Milton Reform. i. (1851) 20 Of those Books..who knows..what hath bin raz'd out, what hath bin inserted. 1693 Wood Life (O.H.S.) IV. 19 Altered the aforesaid originall papers, by razing out many lines, sentences, and words. 1735 Swift Corr. Wks. 1841 II. 735 Having first razed out the writer's name, I have shown it to several gentlemen. |
c. transf. and fig. (cf. rase v.1 2 c).
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 285 As for that which is euil, they raze it out of their memories. 1654 tr. Scudery's Curia Pol. 147 This base and ingrate person razed me out of her affection. 1702 Rowe Tamerl. i. i, The first feeble Blow I meet shall raze me From all Remembrance. 1720 Mrs. Manley Power of Love (1741) I. 32 He became formidable enough to raze the very Name of Mendoza. 1877 Gladstone Glean. IV. xxii. 355 If we raze out all our earlier protests. |
4. † a. To scrape (a writing) so as to erase something; to alter by erasure. Obs.
| 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. ii, I will..raze th' eternal register of Time. 1602 W. Fulbecke 2nd Pt. Parall. 31 A deede razed is not good in your Law. 1720 Lond. Gaz. No. 5825/2 The Decrees..were razed. 1724 Bp. Wilson in Keble Life (1863) II. xviii. 609 Razing or adding to records being ever accounted..penal. |
† b. To shave. Obs. Cf. rase v.1 4 c.
| 1667 Evelyn Public Employm. Misc. Writ. (1805) 544 Trifling amongst barbers, razing and sprucing himself. 1732 Hist. Litteraria III. 421 Both had their Heads raz'd. |
c. To scrape, or come close to, in passing.
| 1598 Florio, Radere,..Also to raze or go along the shore as a ship doth. 1885 M. Blind Tarantella I. iii. 29 [The swallows] dive low, razing the grass, then soar aloft. |
† d. absol. (see quot.). Obs. rare—0.
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v., A horse is said to have razed, whose corner teeth cease to be hollow; so that the cavity, where the black mark was, is filled up. |
5. a. To sweep away, efface, or destroy (a building, town, etc.) completely. In later use esp. to raze to the ground.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. 707, I saw Troye fall..Neptunus town clene razed from the soil. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 60 Now thee statelye pilers with gould of Barbarye fretted Are razde. 1633 G. Herbert Temple, Sacrifice xvii, Some said, that I the Temple to the floore In three dayes raz'd. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. (1869) I. xxiv. 690 The fortifications were razed to the ground. 1843 Prescott Mexico (1850) I. 354 If it were refused, the Aztecs would raze their cities to their foundations. 1870 Bryant Iliad I. ii. 40 Having razed Troy with her strong defences I should see my home again. |
b. To take away, remove (from a place), in a thorough manner. (With various objects.)
| 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 360 That the heat of thy loue might clean be razed with ye coldnes of my letter. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. i. lxxvii. (1674) 102 [God] by sending universal Deluges of water, razed mankind..from off the World. 1874 H. R. Reynolds John Bapt. iv. i. 238 In Henoch, ‘the Son of Man’ is about to raze kings from their thrones. |
Hence razed, ˈrazing ppl. adjs.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 67, I ran too Priamus razd court. 1598 Yong Diana 60 His short cape cloke was..lined with razed watchet satten. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 229 Amongst other things remarkable, there were three pages in raz'd tissue. 1715–20 Pope Iliad v. 419 Her snowy hand the razing steel profaned. 1813 Scott Trierm. ii. xx, No striplings these, who succour need For a razed helm or falling steed. 1882 W. B. Weeden Soc. Law Labor 180 A razed table on which new classes build themselves. |
▪ IV. raze
obs. form of race n.6, raise v.1