ray

Meaning

Noun

1. A beam of light or radiation.
2. A rib-like reinforcement of bone or cartilage in a fish's fin.
3. One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.
4. A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, such as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius.
5. (obsolete) Sight; perception; vision; from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen.
6. A line extending indefinitely in one direction from a point.

Verb

1. (transitive) To emit something as if in rays.
2. (intransitive) To radiate as if in rays.
3. (transitive) To expose to radiation.

Verb

1. (obsolete) To arrange.
2. (archaic) To dress, array (someone).
3. (obsolete) To stain or soil; to defile.

Synonyms

beam

light

skate

irradiate

stingray

ray of light

beam of light

gleam

stripe

radius

radiate

strip

shaft

lightning

brightness

irradiation

fish

🐟

spoke

flash

manta ray

re

light beam

shaft of light

lustre

electron beam

half-line

shine

eagle ray

line

scintillate

scratch

semidiameter

shower

🚿

shower bath

showerhead

spark

splendour

spray

streak

stream

sunlight

sunshine

thread

🧵

vector

visible light

wire

emit light

gleam of hope

one road

rays of the sun

Translations

rayon

Strahl

rayo

raggio

raie

raya

straal

razza

raio

Rochen

ışın

rog

ακτίνα

lampo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹeɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: -

Inherited from Middle English: raye

Cognate with Middle English: reyhhe

Cognate with Old English: reohhe

In summary

Via Middle English, borrowed from Old French rai, from Latin radius (“staff, stake, spoke”). Doublet of radius.