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rid of this cold. b) to drive, send, throw, or give away or destroy: How can we get rid of all these flies in the kitchen? He just sat there talking all evening and I couldn't get rid of him.
rid·dance /'rɪdns/ n infml good riddance (said rudely when one is glad that someone or something has gone): 'They've gone at last.' 'Good riddance (to them)!'
-ridden → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
rid·dle¹ /'rɪdl/ n 1 a difficult and often amusing question to which one must guess the answer: Christmas crackers with a gift and a riddle inside | (fig.) You're speaking in riddles; why can't you just say what you mean in an uncomplicated way? 2 a mystery; something one cannot understand: Robert's disappearance is a complete riddle.
riddle² n a large SIEVE, as used for separating earth from stones in the garden
riddle³ v [T] to pass (earth, corn, ashes etc) through a RIDDLE
riddle sbdy./sthg. with sthg. phr v [T usually pass.] 1 to make many holes in (a person or thing) by means of: The gunman riddled the car with bullets. 2 to make full of, and so damage: The tent's riddled with holes and the rain's coming in. | The whole report is riddled with (=full of) errors.
ride¹ /raɪd/ v rode /rəʊd/, ridden /'rɪdn/ 1 [T] to travel along, controlling and sitting on (a horse or other animal, a bicycle, or a motorcycle): Can you ride a bicycle? I'll ride the old horse and you ride the pony. | The winning horse was ridden by Willie Carson. → compare DRIVE; see DRIVE (USAGE) 2 [I] especially BrE to travel along controlling and sitting on a horse, for exercise and pleasure: Who taught you to ride? | We're going riding on Saturday. | a riding school (=a place where people are taught to ride horses) 3 [I+adv/prep] to go somewhere controlling and sitting on a horse, bicycle etc: We rode across the fields. | He got on his bicycle and rode slowly off down the road. 4 [I(on, in)] to be carried along on an animal, on or in a vehicle etc; travel: His dog likes to ride with him on his motorbike. | riding on a camel in the desert | The little boy rode on his father's shoulders. | riding in an open carriage 5 [T] especially AmE a) to travel in, especially habitually: riding the freight trains b) to travel across, usually on horseback: The cowboy rode the range. 6 [I+adv] (of a vehicle) to travel over a surface in the stated manner: This car rides smoothly. 7 [I+adv/prep; T] lit (of a ship) to move or float (on): The boat rode at anchor in the channel. | The ship rode the rough sea. 8 [T] especially AmE to cause intentional and continual difficulty to; annoy: Leave her alone and stop riding her - she's doing her best! 9 [T] to move back so as to lessen the force of (a blow): The boxer managed to ride the punch. 10 let something ride infml to let something continue, even if one does not really approve of it; take no action about something 11 ride for a fall infml to behave in a risky way: She's riding for a fall, investing all her money in that shaky company. 12 ride high to have great success, be in a top position etc: The England team are riding high at the moment; they've won their last five matches. 13 ride roughshod over to act in an insensitive and hurtful way towards: You can't just ride roughshod over people's feelings like that.
ride sbdy. ⇔ down phr v [T] 1 to chase and reach on one's horse 2 to knock down with one's horse
ride on sthg. phr v [T] infml to depend on: It's vital that we win this contract; the whole future of the company is riding on it.
ride sthg. ⇔ out phr v [T] (of a ship) to keep floating until the end of (a period of bad weather): We decided to try to ride out the storm rather than attempt to get back to harbour. | (fig.) With good financial management we should be able to ride out our current economic difficulties.
ride up phr v [I] (of clothing) to move upward out of place: This tight skirt rides up when I sit down.
ride² n 1 [(on, in)] a journey on an animal, in a vehicle etc: Shall we go for a ride in the car? | The town centre is only a short bus ride away. | Give me a ride on your back. | a ride on a donkey 2 travel of the stated type on an animal or in a vehicle: The champion jockey had an easy ride in the Derby | (fig.) I hear they gave you a pretty rough ride in the interview. (=asked you very difficult questions etc) 3 a path, especially through a wood, with a soft surface suitable for riding a horse on but not for vehicles 4 along for the ride infml present with others but not taking part seriously: They were going on a geology field trip, and as I had nothing better to do I said I'd come along for the ride. 5 in for a bumpy ride infml likely to meet difficulties ahead 6 take someone for a ride infml to deceive or cheat someone: This contract is worthless; you've been taken for a ride! → see also free ride (FREE)
Ride a Cock-'Horse a NURSERY RHYME (=an old song or poem for children):
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady ride on a white horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.
Ride of the 'Valkyries, the /ˌl. . .'/ an exciting piece of music from the OPERA The Valkyries by Richard WAGNER, played when the VALKYRIES, female messengers of the god Odin, ride into battle on their flying horses and take the souls of dead soldiers to VALHALLA. The music is often used in films and advertisements.
rid·er /'raɪdəʳ/ n 1 a person who rides or is riding especially a horse 2 a statement, opinion, or piece of advice added especially to an official declaration or judgment: [+v-ing/that] The coroner decided that the child had been drowned, and added a rider (advising) that the lake should be filled in.
——less adj: a riderless horse
ridge¹ /rɪdʒ/ n a long narrow raised part of a surface, such as the top of a range of mountains or of a sloping roof where the two sloping surfaces meet: We walked along the mountain ridge. | The sea left a pattern of ridges and hollows on the sand. | (fig.) A ridge (=long area) of high pressure is approaching from the Atlantic and will bring sunny weather.
ridge² v [T] to make a ridge or ridges in: The sea had ridged the sand with rippling patterns.
Ridge, Tom (1945-) an American lawyer who became the first US Secretary of Homeland Security in January 2003. Before starting that job, he was the Governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 until 2001 and a member of the House of Representatives from 1983 until 1995. He was in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was given several MEDALS.
ridge·pole /'rɪdʒpəʊl/ n 1 the pole along the top of the roof of a long tent 2 the piece of wood etc, to which the sloping RAFTERS of the roof are joined
rid·i·cule¹ /'rɪdɪkjuːl/ n [U] language or behaviour intended to make someone or something appear foolish or worthless; unkind expression of amusement: Her paintings, which were once held up to ridicule (=made fun of as being silly), are now widely acknowledged as masterpieces. | You lay yourself open to ridicule (=will make people laugh at you) by suggesting such an outlandish plan. | The minister declined to be interviewed on the television as he did not want to risk being exposed to public ridicule.
ridicule² v [T] to laugh unkindly at; declare the foolishness of: They all ridiculed my suggestion.
ri·dic·u·lous /rɪ'dɪkjʊləs/ adj derog deserving ridicule; silly or unreasonable: The fat old man looked ridiculous in his tight pink trousers. | What a ridiculous suggestion. | It's ridiculous that we should have to queue, when we've already got our tickets. ——ly adv: The exam was ridiculously (=extremely) easy. ——ness n [U]
Ri·ding /'raɪdɪŋ/ n one of the three official parts into which Yorkshire, northern England, was formerly divided. The three divisions were called the East Riding, West Riding, and North Riding.
'riding habit n a woman's set of clothing worn in former times for riding a horse in, usually with a long skirt for riding with both legs on the same side of the horse
Rie·fen·stahl, Le·ni /'riːfənʃtaːl, 'leni/ (1902-2003) a German film DIRECTOR and photographer, known especially for the film Triumph of the Will which seemed to praise Hitler, about a very large Nazi meeting in NUREMBERG in 1934, and another about the 1936 Olympic Games
Ries·ling /'riːzlɪŋ/ n [C;U] a type of white wine, made especially in Germany, that has a light flowery taste
rife /raɪf/ adj [F] especially lit 1 (of something bad) widespread; common: Disease and violence were rife in the city. 2 [+with] full (of something bad): The whole system is rife with corruption.
riff /rɪf/ n a repeated series of notes in popular or JAZZ music