| Vocabulary Words | Meanings |
|---|---|
| rabbit | a small furry animal with long ears. Some rabbits are kept in hutches as pets, but wild rabbits dig holes in the ground to live in |
| race | to move very quickly to get to a place before someone else does. The same word also means a large group of people having a similar appearance, especially the same skin colour. Europeans, Africans and Chines all belong to different races |
| racetrack | the path or course where a race is run |
| rack | a framework to keep things on, such as a hat rack |
| racket | a bat with a network of strings used in playing tennis and other games. Sometimes the word is spelled racquet. The same word also means a loud noise |
| radar | a method of finding the position of an object (ship, aircraft) by reflection of radiowaves |
| radiance | brightness shooting in rays, splendour, brilliancy |
| radiant | bright; sending out rays of heat or light. The same word also means showing joy |
| radiate | to send out rays of heat or light: to spread out in many directions from a centre |
| radiator | a set of pipes or other apparatus used to heat a room by electricity, hot water or steam. The same word also means the part of a car that holds water to keep the engine from getting too hot |
| radiculous | silly; foolish; laughable |
| radio | an instrument that brings broadcast music and other people’s voices through the air from far away |
| radish | the small red and white root of a plant, used in salads |
| radius | a straight line from the centre of a circle to its outer edge |
| raft | floating logs or boards fastened together |
| rag | a piece of cloth that is old and often full of holes |
| rage | great anger; fury |
| raid | a quick surprise attack |
| rail | a wooden or metal bar used as part of a fence: a long metal bar which is used to make a railway track |
| railing | a fence of posts and rails |
| railway | very long parallel bars of metal that make a road or track fro trains to run on |
| rain | drops of water that fall out of the clouds |
| rainbow | a beautifully-coloured arch that you can se in the sky when the sun shines through rain |
| raincoat | a coat made of rubber or some other material that does not let the rain through |
| rainfall | the amount of rain that falls in a certain period of time |
| raise | to lift up. The same word also means to collect, as when you raise money for charity. It means to grow or breed something, like plants or animals |
| raisin | a dried grape used in cakes and puddings |
| rake | a garden tool with a long handle and metal teeth |
| ram | a male sheep. The same word also means to push hard or crash into something |
| ramble | to stroll about for pleasure. The same word also means a long walk in the country |
| rampart | a mound of earth round a place, a defence |
| ranch | a very big farm where large numbers of cattle, horses or sheep are raised |
| ranger | a man who is paid to look after a forest or large area of land |
| rank | the position of a soldier, sailor or airman in the armed forces. The same word also means a row or line of things or people |
| ransack | to search through something in a rather rough and untidy way |
| ransom | a sum of money paid for the safe return of someone who has been captured or kidnapped |
| rap | to hit sharply |
| rapid | quick; speedy |
| rapids | a rocky, steep part of a river where the water flows very quickly |
| rapier | a long thin sword |
| rare | unusual; valuable |
| rascal | a dishonest person; who makes mischief or who cannot be trusted |
| rase | to graze, to erase |
| rash | an outbreak of red spots on the skin. The same word also means acting hastily, without careful thought |
| raspberry | a small soft red fruit with lots of seeds |
| rat | an animal like a large mouse, with long sharp teeth |
| rate | how fast something happens. The same word also means how much you pay for something |
| rather | somewhat; to some extent |
| ratio | relation or proportion, rate |
| ration | a share or portion. When there is not enough food to go round, everyone is allowed the same ration, so that everyone has a fair share |
Abbreviation An abbreviation is a short form of a word or expression. Abbreviations are used for words used frequently.