n. [ Ir. rath. ] 1. A hill or mound. [ Ireland ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A kind of ancient fortification found in Ireland. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ AS. hræð, hræd, quick, akin to OHG. hrad, Icel. hraðr. ] Coming before others, or before the usual time; early. [ Obs. or Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Early; soon; betimes. [ Obs. or Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Why rise ye up so rathe? Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Too rathe cut off by practice criminal. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. of Rath, a. ] Prior; earlier; former. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. Sir J. Mandeville. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ AS. hraðor, compar. of hraðe, hræðe, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Earlier; sooner; before. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

A good mean to come the rather to grace. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. More readily or willingly; preferably. [ 1913 Webster ]

My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. Job vii. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. [ 1913 Webster ]

Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Of two alternatives conceived of, this by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat. [ 1913 Webster ]

He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain,
And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. More properly; more correctly speaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is an art
Which does mend nature, change it rather, but
The art itself is nature. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the house is rather damp. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rather, the more so; especially; for better reason; for particular cause. [ 1913 Webster ] You are come to me in happy time,
The rather for I have some sport in hand. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Had rather, or
Would rather, prefer to; prefers to; as, he had rather, or would rather go than stay. “I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” 1 Cor. xiv. 19. See Had rather, under Had. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Rareripe, or early ripe. -- n. A rareripe. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such who delight in rathripe fruits. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ G., also ratskeller, prop., town-hall cellar. ] Orig., in Germany, the cellar or basement of the city hall, usually rented for use as a restaurant where beer is sold; hence, a beer saloon of the German type below the street level, where, usually, drinks are served only at tables and simple food may also be had; -- sometimes loosely used, in English, of what are essentially basement restaurants where liquors are served. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]