ray

ray · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromradius“staff, stake, spoke”
2. Old French · derived fromrai
3. English todayray

Via Middle English, borrowed from Old French rai, from Latin radius (“staff, stake, spoke”). Doublet of radius.

ray · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromraia
2. Old French · derived fromraie
3. Middle English · inherited fromraye
4. English todayray

From Middle English raye, rayȝe, from Old French raie, from Latin raia, of uncertain origin. Compare Middle English reyhhe, reihe, reȝge (“ray, skate”), from Old English reohhe (“ray”).

ray · verb, noun³

Shortened from array.

ray · noun⁴

From its sound, by analogy with the letters chay, jay, gay, kay, which it resembles graphically.

ray · noun⁵

Alternative forms.

Ray · proper noun⁶

1. Old English · derived fromrā“roe deer”
2. Old French · derived fromrei“king”
3. English todayRay

* As an English surname, from pet forms derived from the root of Raymond. * Also as an English surname, from Old French rei (“king”). Compare Roy, King. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rā (“roe deer”). Compare Roe. * Also as an English surname, variant of Wray and Rye. * As a Scottish Gaelic surname, shortened from McRae. * As a French surname, from the verb raier (“to gush out, flow, radiate”). Compare Leray. * As a Polish and Slovene surname, Americanized from Raj, from raj (“paradise”). * As an Indian surname, variant of Rai.

Ray · proper noun⁷

1. Old Persian · derived from𐎼𐎥𐎠
2. English todayRay

From Persian ری (ray /rey), from Middle Persian, from Old Persian 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (r-g-a /⁠ragā⁠/), a Median district. Compare Akkadian 𒊏𒂵𒀪 (ra-ga-'), Elamite 𒊩𒋡𒀭 (rák-ka₄-an) (loc.), Ancient Greek Ῥάγαι (Rhágai), Latin Rhagae, Rhaganae, Iranian borrowings.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 14th–18th c. To arrange.
• from 14th c. To dress, array (someone).
• 16th–19th c. To stain or soil; to defile.