rathe

• IPA^(key): /ɹeɪð/
• Rhymes: -eɪð

From Middle English rathe, from Old English hræþ, hræd (“quick, nimble, ready, active, alert, prompt”), from Proto-Germanic *hraþaz, *hradaz (“quick, rapid”), from Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“quick; to move quickly”). Cognate with Dutch rad (“quick, swift”), German gerade (“straight, direct”), Norwegian rad (“quick, direct”), Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌸𐍃 (raþs, “easy”).

rathe (comparative more rathe, superlative most rathe)

1. (poetic) Ripening or blooming early.
   • Milton

     Bring the rathe primrose that forsaken dies.

From Middle English, from Old English hraþe (“quickly”), from Proto-Germanic *hraþô (“quickly, rapidly”), from *hraþaz (“quick, rapid”). See above.

rathe (comparative more rathe, superlative most rathe)

1. (obsolete) Quickly.
2. (poetic) Early in the morning.

• rath

• rather

• Earth, Erath, Harte, Heart, Herat, Taher, Terah, Thera, earth, hater, heart, rehat, th'are, thare

• rathere, rathest

From Old English hræþ, from Proto-Germanic *hraþaz. Compare to rade, from Old English hræd.

• IPA^(key): /raːð(ə)/

rathe (comparative rather, superlative rathest)

1. eager, decisive
2. rash, hasty, angry
3. important, meaningful

• English: rathe (obsolete)

• “rāth(e (adj.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-30.

rathe

1. quickly, speedily
2. immediately, at once
3. now, presently

• rather, rathere

• English: rathe (obsolete)

• “rāth(e (adv.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-30.