rather
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rather/ˈrɑːðə(r)/
▶adverb
- 1 (would rather) indicating one's preference in a particular matter.
- 2 to a certain or significant extent or degree.
- 3 on the contrary.
- 4 more precisely.
- 5 instead of; as opposed to.
– phrases
had rather literary or archaic would rather.
had rather literary or archaic would rather.
– origin OE hrathor ‘earlier, sooner’, compar. of hræthe ‘without delay’, from hræth ‘prompt’ (see rathe).
'rather' also found in these Oxford entries:
abstract
- academic
- ad hominem
- adverse
- affirm
- ago
- à la carte
- allusive
- alright
- an
- analogue
- analphabetic
- and
- animal
- anti-personnel
- applied
- appointive
- a priori
- as
- asynchronous
- base jump
- bat
- beneath
- benevolent
- between
- bioregion
- bioregionalism
- black and white
- blame game
- blood relation
- boletus
- book learning
- boughten
- brane
- breech-loader
- brick
- broad
- broadcast
- broadsword
- Bronze Age
- broomball
- Buggins's turn
- bureaucracy
- can
- capital goods
- capitalism
- cartilaginous fish
- cash
- cash crop
- casual
