Rule

[ruːl] or [rul]

Definition

(noun.) measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths.

(noun.) a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; 'it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast'; 'short haircuts were the regulation'.

(noun.) (mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; 'he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs'; 'he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials'.

(noun.) any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order; 'the rule of St. Dominic'.

(noun.) prescribed guide for conduct or action.

(noun.) directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted; 'he knew the rules of chess'.

(noun.) (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice.

(noun.) the duration of a monarch's or government's power; 'during the rule of Elizabeth'.

(verb.) keep in check; 'rule one's temper'.

(verb.) decide with authority; 'The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed'.

(verb.) decide on and make a declaration about; 'find someone guilty'.

(verb.) mark or draw with a ruler; 'rule the margins'.

(verb.) have an affinity with; of signs of the zodiac.

Typed by Doreen--From WordNet

Definition

(a.) That which is prescribed or laid down as a guide for conduct or action; a governing direction for a specific purpose; an authoritative enactment; a regulation; a prescription; a precept; as, the rules of various societies; the rules governing a school; a rule of etiquette or propriety; the rules of cricket.

(a.) Uniform or established course of things.

(a.) Systematic method or practice; as, my ule is to rise at six o'clock.

(a.) Ordibary course of procedure; usual way; comon state or condition of things; as, it is a rule to which there are many exeptions.

(a.) Conduct in general; behavior.

(a.) The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control.

(a.) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit.

(a.) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result; as, a rule for extracting the cube root.

(a.) A general principle concerning the formation or use of words, or a concise statement thereof; thus, it is a rule in England, that s or es , added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but "man" forms its plural "men", and is an exception to the rule.

(a.) A straight strip of wood, metal, or the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line; a ruler.

(a.) A measuring instrument consisting of a graduated bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded compactly.

(a.) A thin plate of metal (usually brass) of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work.

(a.) A composing rule. See under Conposing.

(n.) To control the will and actions of; to exercise authority or dominion over; to govern; to manage.

(n.) To control or direct by influence, counsel, or persuasion; to guide; -- used chiefly in the passive.

(n.) To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice.

(n.) To require or command by rule; to give as a direction or order of court.

(n.) To mark with lines made with a pen, pencil, etc., guided by a rule or ruler; to print or mark with lines by means of a rule or other contrivance effecting a similar result; as, to rule a sheet of paper of a blank book.

(v. i.) To have power or command; to exercise supreme authority; -- often followed by over.

(v. i.) To lay down and settle a rule or order of court; to decide an incidental point; to enter a rule.

(v. i.) To keep within a (certain) range for a time; to be in general, or as a rule; as, prices ruled lower yesterday than the day before.

Editor: Nell

Synonyms and Synonymous

n. [1]. Command, control, domination, dominion, lordship, mastership, mastery, government, empire, sway, direction, authority.[2]. Precept, law, canon, formula, test, criterion, standard, touchstone.[3]. Order, ruling, prescription, regulation.[4]. Ruler.

v. a. [1]. Govern, control, conduct, direct, lead, have under one's thumb, lead by the nose, lord over, lord it over, domineer over.[2]. (Law.) Determine, decide.

v. n. Command, govern, DOMINEER, have command, have control, rule the roast, have one's own way, wear the breeches, take the lead.

Edited by Barrett

Synonyms and Antonyms

SYN:Govern, manage, control, direct, command, dominate,[See PERNICIOUS]

SYN:Regulation, law, precept, principle, maxim, practice, guide, canon, order,method, direction, authority, control, mastery, government, decision,determination, habit

ANT:Irregularity, nonconformity, exception, deviation, eccentricity

Edited by Astor

Definition

n. revelry.—v.i. to revel.

n. government: a principle: a standard: a statute a maxim formula or order: an instrument used in drawing lines or making calculations mechanically: a minor law something established for guidance and direction esp. the regulations of monasteries corporate societies &c.: the limits of a prison (esp. in pl.): conformity to rule uniformity: in American parliamentary law the regulations adopted by a deliberative body for the regulation of its proceedings: (gram.) the expression of some established form of construction: the description of a process for solving a problem: a general proposition as 'Failure is the rule success the exception': (law) an order regulating the court: (print.) a thin strip of rolled brass cut type high used for printing: in plastering a strip of wood on the face of the wall as a guide to assist in keeping the plane surface.—v.t. to dispose: to regulate: to dominate: to govern: to manage: to prevail upon: to settle as by a rule: to establish by decision: to determine as a court: to mark with lines.—v.i. to exercise power (with over): to decide: to lay down and settle: to stand or range as prices.—adj. Ru′lable governable: allowable.—ns. Rule′-case (print.) a tray with partitions for rules; Rule′-cut′ter (print.) a machine for cutting brass rules into short lengths; Rule′-drill′er a teacher who teaches by rote; Rule′-joint a pivoted joint used by surveyors &c.—adj. Rule′less lawless.—ns. Rule′lessness; Rule′-mong′er a stickler for rules; Ru′ler a sovereign: a governor: an instrument used in drawing lines: in engraving a straight steel bar employed in engraving the lines; Ru′lership; Rule′-work (print.) work with many rules as tables of figures &c.—adj. Ru′ling predominant: prevailing: reigning.—n. the determination by a judge esp. an oral decision: the act of making ruled lines.—n. Ru′ling-en′gine a machine for ruling diffraction gratings.—adv. Ru′lingly.—ns. Ru′ling-machine′ a machine used by engravers for ruling in flat tints: a machine for ruling parallel coloured lines upon writing-paper; Ru′ling-pen a form of pen for drawing lines of even thickness; Slid′ing-rule a rule having one or more scales which slide over others for the purpose of facilitating calculations.—Rule of faith not the sum of the Christian faith as laid down in creeds and confessions but in polemical theology the sources whence the doctrines of the faith are to be authoritatively derived—the Scriptures the tradition of the Church the teaching of the Fathers &c.; Rule of the road the regulations to be observed in the movements of conveyances either on land or at sea—thus in England drivers riders and cyclists take the left side in meeting and the right in passing; Rule of three the method of finding the fourth term when three are given; Rule of thumb any rough process of measurement.—A rule to show cause or A rule nisi a rule which is conditional (see Nisi); As a rule on the whole; One hour rule a rule prohibiting members of the United States House of Representatives speaking more than an hour.

Editor: Moore