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Rice-Davies, Mandy
earth) area, but by 1990 all the coal mines had closed down and many people lost their jobs. New industries, such as making cars, have now been developed.
**Rhone, the** /rəʊn/ a river that goes from southern Switzerland to France and into the Mediterranean Sea. In southern France, the Rhone goes through an important wine-producing area.
**rhu-barb** /'ru:bɑ:bl-ɑ:rb/ n 1 [U] a broad-leaved garden plant whose thick red juicy stems are eaten, often having been stewed (STE) and served with CUSTARD 2 [U] *informal* the sound made by actors to suggest many people talking at the same time 3 [C] *AmE* *old fash* a noisy argument
**rhyme**¹ /raɪm/ n 1 [C] a short and not serious piece of writing, using words that rhyme: *He made up funny rhymes to amuse the children.* → see also NURSERY RHYME 2 [C(for)] a word that rhymes with another: 'Fold' and 'cold' are rhymes. | *I can't find a rhyme for 'donkey'.* 3 [U] (the use of) words that rhyme at the ends of the lines in poetry: *Shakespeare sometimes wrote in rhyme.* 4 **rhyme or reason** [usually in negatives] (any) sense or meaning: *There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason in his demands – is he mad?*
**rhyme**² v [not in progressive forms] 1 [I(with)] (of words or lines of poetry) to end with the same sound, including a vowel: 'House' rhymes with 'mouse'. | 'School' and 'fool' rhyme. | *The last two lines of this poem don't rhyme properly.* 2 [T(with)] to put together (words or one word with another) ending with the same sound, including a vowel: *You can rhyme 'duty' with 'beauty' but you can't rhyme 'box' and 'backs'.* 1. a **rhyming couplet** (=two lines of poetry that rhyme)
**rhyming 'slang** n [U] (the use, especially by some people from London (COCKNEYS), of) words and phrases that rhyme with those which are really meant: 'Plates of meat' is *rhyming slang for 'feet'.*
**Rhys-Jones, So·phie** /ri:s 'dʒəʊnz, 'səʊfi/ (1965–) the wife of Prince Edward, who she married in 1999. She worked as a PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT, but left this job in 2001 after comments she made about MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT and the royal family appeared in a newspaper. Her official title is Countess of Wessex.
**rhyth·m** /'rɪðəm/ n [C;U] (a) regular repeated pattern of sounds or movements: *This music is written in a rhythm of three beats to a bar.* | *the rhythm of his heartbeats* | *the exciting rhythms of African drum music* | *the rhythm section of a band* (=drums and other instruments that provide a strong beat) 1 (*fig.*) *the rhythm of the seasons* → compare METRE; see also BIORHYTHMS
**'rhythm and 'blues** *abbrev.* **R and B** n [U] a type of popular music which is a mixture of BLUES and JAZZ and often uses amplified (AMPLIFY) instruments. It was first developed by black musicians, who greatly influenced many ROCK musicians.
**rhyth·mic** /'rɪðmɪk/ also **rhyth·mi·cal** /-kəl/ *adj* having rhythm: *the rhythmic beating of one's heart* →**ally** /kli/ *adv*
**rhythmic gym'nastics** n [U] a kind of GYMNASTICS in which people perform with long RIBBONS, balls, and HOOPS (ring-like objects) to music
**rhythm method** n [the] a method of BIRTH CONTROL which depends on having sex only at a time when the woman is not likely to CONCEIVE
**RI** /ˌɑ:r 'aɪ/ 1 *written abbrev.* for RHODE ISLAND 2 *abbrev.* for RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION (=the study of religion in school)
**i-al** /ri'ɑ:lɪri'ɔ:l, -'ɑ:l/ n a RIYAL
**ib**¹ /rɪb/ n 1 any of the 12 pairs of bones running round the chest of a person or animal, from the SPINE to where they join at the front: *He suffered three cracked ribs in the accident.* | *roast ribs of beef* 2 a curved piece of wood, metal etc used for forming or strengthening a frame: *the ribs of a boat/an umbrella* 3 one of a group of long thin raised lines in a pattern: *the ribs of a leaf* 4 **dig/poke someone in the ribs** to push someone with a finger or the elbow so as to attract attention
**ib**² v -bb- [T] *informal* to make fun of in a friendly way; laugh at: *All the boys ribbed him for keeping a pet pig.*
**ib-ald** /'rɪbɔ:ld/ *adj* *fml* rudely humorous in a loud, insensitive, and disrespectful way: *ribald jokes* | *the ribald laughter of the drunken men* | *a crowd of ribald soldiers*
**rib·ald·ry** /'rɪbɔ:ldri/ n [U] *fml* ribald language or jokes: *We've had enough of this ribaldry – this is a serious occasion.*
**ribbed** /rɪbd/ *adj* having a pattern of long thin raised lines: *a ribbed fabric* | *ribbed socks*
**Rib·ben·trop, Jo·a·chim von** /'rɪbəntɒp|-tra:p, 'joʊəkɪm vɒn|-vɑ:n/ (1893–1946) a German NAZI official who became Hitler's FOREIGN MINISTER and advised him on foreign policy. After World War II Ribbentrop was found guilty of WAR CRIMES, and was hanged.
**rib·bing** /'rɪbɪŋ/ n [U] a pattern of long thin raised lines in knitting (KNIT): *the ribbing round the tops of his socks*
**rib·bon** /'rɪbən/ also **rib·and** /'rɪbænd/ *old use* — n 1 [C;U] (a piece of) silk or other material woven in a long narrow band and used for tying things, for decoration etc: *She wore red ribbons in her hair.* | *I must get some more typewriter ribbon.* 2 [C] a piece of ribbon in a special colour or pattern, worn to show that one has received a particular military honour 3 [C] a long irregular narrow band; STRIP: *The old torn curtains hung in ribbons.* | *The cat has torn my scarf to ribbons.* | *His coat was in ribbons.* (=very badly torn) | (*fig.*) *a ribbon of mist along the river bank*
**'ribbon de,velopment** n [U] *usually derog* (the practice of building) long lines of houses along the sides of main roads leading out of a city
**'rib cage** n the arrangement of RIBS in the body that encloses and protects the lungs
**Ri-be-na** /raɪ'bi:nə/ *trademark* a type of sweet drink made from BLACKCURRANTS, sold in the UK and drunk especially by children. You mix it with hot or cold water to drink it, and it contains a lot of Vitamin C but also contains a lot of sugar. It is also made sugar-free.
**ri-bo-fla-vin** /ˌraɪbəʊ'fleɪvɪnˌraɪbə-/ n [U] *tech* a substance (VITAMIN B2) that exists naturally in meat, milk, and certain vegetables, and is important for human health
**Ric-ci, Chris-ti-na** /'ri:tʃi, kri'sti:nə/ (1980–) an American actress whose films include *The Addams Family*, *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas*, and *Sleepy Hollow*
Christina Ricci
**rice** /raɪs/ n [U] 1 a plant grown in wet warm places for its seed 2 the seed of this plant, which is cooked and eaten almost everywhere in the world: *chicken and fried rice* → see also BROWN RICE, WILD RICE
**Rice, Con·do·leez·za** /ˌkɒndə'li:səˌkɔ:n-/ (1954–) a US politician in the Republican Party, and the National Security Advisor in President George W. Bush's government from 2001. She was the first woman to have this job.
**Rice, Jerry** (1962–) a US football player regarded as one of the best RECEIVERS in the history of the NFL. He is known for his skill at catching the ball and running very quickly with it. He helped his team, the San Francisco 49ers, to win the Super Bowl several times in the 1980s and 1990s and he holds the record for the most TOUCHDOWNS in a career. He moved to the Oakland Raiders in 2001.
**Rice, Sir Tim** /taɪm/ (1944–) a British songwriter, who wrote the words for several well-known musicals composed by Andrew LLOYD WEBBER, including *Evita* (1976) and *Jesus Christ Superstar* (1970)
**Rice-a-Ro·ni** /raɪs ə 'rəʊni/ *trademark* a food product consisting of rice and MACARONI and some FLAVOURINGS that comes in a box and is easy to prepare. Rice-a-Roni is advertised using pictures of CABLE CARS and the phrase 'the San Francisco treat' because the company began in San Francisco.
**Rice-'Davies, Man·dy** /'mændi/ (1944–) a British MODEL who, along with her friend Christine KEELER, is known for being involved in the Profumo Scandal in 1963. During the trial about the affair, she said that she had had a sexual relationship with an English lord. She was told that the lord had said this was not true, and she became famous for her reply when she said 'He would say that, wouldn't he?'.