Rase

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To scratch, scrape, or mark the surface of something ; to erase or rub out written marks ; to tear down or destroy a structure completely
2. To scrape away the surface of an object ; to obliterate or eliminate something entirely ; to raze a building or fortification
3. To abrade or wear away by friction ; to wipe out or remove all traces of something ; to level or demolish buildings and walls

Etymology: Its oldest recorded sense was anger. Late Middle English "rasen" meant "to rage" or "to enrage," probably from Middle Dutch "râsen," which could describe a person being extremely angry, talking nonsense, or a dog being rabid. The Dutch verb traces back to a Germanic root meaning "to rush." As a verb, "rase" is a variant of "raze," and it was also influenced by "race," an obsolete word meaning to pluck, pull off, or snatch. The noun meaning a level measure of grain is probably from Latin "rāsum," "scraped," the past participle of "rādō," "to scrape." The white marking on a horse's head comes from a separate word. It is likely a specialised use of "race," meaning a mark or cut, a dialect word from southwest England.

Synonyms: raze, erase, demolish, scratch

Antonyms: build, construct, preserve