rule
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
rule/ruːl/
▶noun
- 1 a regulation or principle governing conduct or procedure within a particular area of activity.
■ a code of practice and discipline for a religious community: the Rule of St Benedict.
- 2 control or government: an end to British rule.
- 3 (the rule) the normal or customary state of things.
- 4 a straight strip of rigid material used for measuring; a ruler.
- 5 a thin printed line or dash.
- 1 exercise ultimate power over (a people or nation).
■ exert a powerful and restricting influence on.
■ informal be very good or the best.
- 2 pronounce authoritatively and legally to be the case.
- 3 (often as adj. ruled) make parallel lines on (paper).
- 4 (rule something out/in) exclude (or include) something as a possibility.
– phrases
as a rule usually, but not always.
rule of law the restriction of power by well-defined and established laws.
rule of the road a custom or law regulating the direction in which two vehicles should move to pass one another on meeting to avoid collision.
rule of thumb a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on practice rather than theory.
rule the roost be in complete control.
as a rule usually, but not always.
rule of law the restriction of power by well-defined and established laws.
rule of the road a custom or law regulating the direction in which two vehicles should move to pass one another on meeting to avoid collision.
rule of thumb a broadly accurate guide or principle, based on practice rather than theory.
rule the roost be in complete control.
– derivatives
ruleless adjective.
ruleless adjective.
– origin ME: from OFr. reule (n.), reuler (v.), from late L. regulare, from L. regula ‘straight stick’.
'rule' also found in these Oxford entries:
abide
- ancien régime
- -arch
- -archy
- Augustinian
- automatic
- Basilian
- bend
- Benedictine
- book
- by-law
- call
- canon
- canonic
- commandment
- compulsory
- congregation
- cover
- -cracy
- -crat
- -cratic
- cursor
- Dalai Lama
- democracy
- determinant
- diarchy
- direct rule
- dispensable
- dispensation
- divide
- dominate
- double standard
- em rule
- enforce
- en passant
- en rule
- evade
- example
- exception
- flaunt
- flout
- forbid
- foreclose
- formula
- formulaic
- Franciscan
- fundamental
- Gauleiter
- gerontocracy
- Gestapo

