Etymology: Probably < either post-classical Latin rasum (1270, c1336 in British sources), rasa (1282, 1376 in British sources) levelled measure of grain (uses as noun of masculine and feminine respectively of past participle of radere : see raze v.), or Anglo-Norman rase levelled measure of grain (first half of the 14th cent. or earlier; compare Old French, Middle French rase (1237 in Old French as rese ; in Middle French also reise , resse , reze ; French (now regional) rase , †raze )), use as noun of feminine of ras , res , rez (of a levelled measure) completely full (end of the 12th cent. in Old French), cut short, short-haired, shaven (1534 with reference to the fabric of a hat (compare raised adj.²), 1547 with reference to a beard) < classical Latin rāsus , past participle of rādere to scrape, shave (see raze v.). Compare French †raz , †res (masculine) in same sense (1249 in Old French; in Middle French also as rais , reys , rez ; use as noun of masculine of ras , res , rez (of a levelled measure) completely full), also Old Occitan ras (13th cent.), rasa (14th cent.). Compare earlier raze v. 5 and later race adj.², and compare the foreign-language forms cited at those entries.

Etymology: < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic rasa to rush headlong) < a different ablaut grade of the same Germanic base as rese v.² Compare earlier rese v.², and later race n.¹, race v.³Quots. c1275¹, c1275² may instead show spelling variants of rese v.²

Etymology: Variant of race v.¹, partly (especially in later use) influenced by raze v. (compare forms at that entry). Compare later rash v.²In early examples it is often unclear whether s represents a voiced or a voiceless sound (and thus simply a spelling of race v.¹). The word is also sometimes difficult to distinguish from race v.²

Etymology: Probably < Middle Dutch rāsen, rāzen to be furious, to rage, also (of a dog) to be rabid (see rese v.², and compare the Germanic verbs cited at that entry). Compare also rase v.¹, which all quots. could perhaps alternatively be interpreted as showing.The specific sense ‘(of a dog) to snarl with rage’ (compare quot. 1440) is apparently not paralleled in Dutch, Middle Low German, or German; however, the more general sense ‘(of dogs or wolves) to be rabid’ is well attested in Middle Dutch.

Etymology: < race n.⁴ (compare forms at that entry). Perhaps compare earlier rake n.³ 5, ratch n.¹, ratch n.¹