race
1
[ reys ]
/ reɪs /
noun
verb (used without object), raced, rac·ing.
verb (used with object), raced, rac·ing.
Origin of race
1
1250–1300; (noun) Middle English
ras(e) < Old Norse
rās a running, race (cognate with Old English
rǣs a running); (v.) Middle English
rasen, derivative of the noun (compare Old Norse
rasa to rush headlong)
OTHER WORDS FROM race
an·ti·rac·ing, adjective pre·rac·ing, adjective pro·rac·ing, adjectiveWords nearby race
Definition for race (2 of 4)
race
2
[ reys ]
/ reɪs /
noun
adjective
of or relating to the races of humankind.
Origin of race
2
1490–1500; < French < Italian
razza, of obscure origin
synonym study for race
1.
Race,
people,
ethnicity,
ethnic group, and
nation are terms for a large body of persons who may be thought of as a unit because of common characteristics.
Race is no longer in technical use as a biological or anthropological system of classification (see usage note). In certain broader or less technical senses,
race is sometimes used interchangeably with
people.
People refers to a body of persons united usually by common interests, ideals, or culture but sometimes also by a common history, or language:
We are one people;
the peoples of the world;
the Swedish people. As with
people , members of an
ethnicity or
ethnic group are united by a shared culture or culture of origin and sometimes shared history, language, or religion, especially in contrast to the culture of a different group:
Several ethnicities were represented in the pride parade.
Hostility between ethnic groups divided the region.
Nation refers to a current or historical body of persons living under an organized government or rule, occupying a defined area, and acting as a unit in matters of peace and war:
the English nation;
the Phoenician nation.
usage note for race
Genetic evidence has undermined the idea of racial divisions of the human species and rendered
race obsolete as a biological system of classification.
Race therefore should no longer be considered as an objective category, as the term formerly was in expressions like
the Caucasian race,
the Asian race,
the Hispanic race. Instead, if the reference is to a particular inherited physical trait, as skin color or eye shape, that salient feature should be mentioned specifically:
discrimination based on color. Rather than using
race to generalize about national or geographic origin, or even religious affiliation, it is better to be specific:
South Korean,
of Polish descent. References to cultural affiliation may refer to ethnicity or ethnic group:
Kurdish ethnicity,
Hispanic ethnicity. Though
race is no longer considered a viable scientific categorization of humans, it continues to be used by the U.S. Census to refer to current prevalent categories of self-identification that include some physical traits, some historical affiliations, and some national origins:
black,
white,
American Indian,
Chinese,
Samoan, etc. The current version of the census also asks whether or not Americans are of Hispanic origin, which is not considered a
race . There are times when it is still accurate to talk about
race in society. Though
race has lost its biological basis, the sociological consequences of historical racial categories persist. For example, it may be appropriate to invoke
race to discuss social or historical events shaped by racial categorizations, as slavery, segregation, integration, discrimination, equal employment policy. Often in these cases, the adjective “racial” is more appropriate than the noun “race.” While the scientific foundation for
race is now disputed, racial factors in sociological and historical contexts continue to be relevant.
Definition for race (3 of 4)
Origin of race
3Definition for race (4 of 4)
Race
[ reys ]
/ reɪs /
noun
Cape,
a cape at the SE extremity of Newfoundland.
Example sentences from the Web for race
British Dictionary definitions for race (1 of 4)
race
1
/ (reɪs) /
noun
verb
Word Origin for race
C13: from Old Norse
rās running; related to Old English
rǣs attack
British Dictionary definitions for race (2 of 4)
race
2
/ (reɪs) /
noun
a group of people of common ancestry, distinguished from others by physical characteristics, such as hair type, colour of eyes and skin, stature, etc. Principal races are Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Negroid
the human race
human beings collectively
a group of animals or plants having common characteristics that distinguish them from other members of the same species, usually forming a geographically isolated group; subspecies
a group of people sharing the same interests, characteristics, etc
the race of authors
play the race card informal
to introduce the subject of race into a public discussion, esp to gain a strategic advantage
Word Origin for race
C16: from French, from Italian
razza, of uncertain origin
British Dictionary definitions for race (3 of 4)
race
3
/ (reɪs) /
noun
a ginger root
Word Origin for race
C15: from Old French
rais, from Latin
rādīx a root
British Dictionary definitions for race (4 of 4)
Race
/ (reɪs) /
noun
Cape Race
a cape at the SE extremity of Newfoundland, Canada
Medical definitions for race
race
[ rās ]
n.
A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
A population of organisms differing from others of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits; a subspecies.
A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
Scientific definitions for race
race
[ rās ]
- An interbreeding, usually geographically isolated population of organisms differing from other populations of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits. A race that has been given formal taxonomic recognition is known as a subspecies.
- A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.
Any of several extensive human populations associated with broadly defined regions of the world and distinguished from one another on the basis of inheritable physical characteristics, traditionally conceived as including such traits as pigmentation, hair texture, and facial features. Because the number of genes responsible for such physical variations is tiny in comparison to the size of the human genome and because genetic variation among members of a traditionally recognized racial group is generally as great as between two such groups, most scientists now consider race to be primarily a social rather than a scientific concept.
Idioms and Phrases with race
race
see rat race; slow but sure (steady wins the race).