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raze also rase

(rāz)

tr.v. razed, raz·ing, raz·es also rased or ras·ing or ras·es

1. To level to the ground; demolish. See Synonyms at destroy.

2. Archaic

a. To scrape or shave off.

b. To erase.

[Middle English rasen, to scrape off, from Old French raser, from Vulgar Latin *rāsāre, frequentative of Latin rādere; see RASH².]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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