raze

present singular third person razes · participle present razing · participle past razed · past razed · first person past singular razed · archaic present second person singular razest · past second person singular razed · archaic past second person singular razedst · present singular third person razes · archaic present singular third person razeth · past singular third person razed · past plural razed · past subjunctive razed · participle present razing · participle past razed · alternative race

1. transitiveTo level or tear down (a building, a town, etc.) to the ground; to demolish.

   Some ſaid, that I the Temple to the floore / In three dayes raz'd, and raiſed as before.

   [1633], George Herbert, “The Sacrifice”, in [Nicholas Ferrar], editor, The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC, page 21

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   The fortreſſe was raſed and beaten downe to the erthe⸝ whiche had coſt moche the makynge therof: […]

   1523 February 7 (Gregorian calendar), Johan Froyssart [i.e., Jean Froissart], “Howe the Frẽche Kyng Sent a Great Nauy to the See⸝ ⁊ howe Duyers Townes were Brent in Englande: ⁊ howe the Duke of Burgoyne Tooke Dyuers Castels about Calys”, in Here Begynneth the First Volum of Sir Johan Froyssart: Of the Cronycles of Englande⸝ Fraunce⸝ Spayne⸝ Portyngale⸝ Scotlande⸝ Bretayne⸝ Flañders: And Other Places Adioynynge. […], 1st volume, London: […] Richarde Pynson⸝ […], →OCLC; reprinted as The First Volum of Sir Johan Froyssart of the Chronycles of Englande⸝ Fraunce⸝ Spayne (The English Experience […]; no. 257), Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum; New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press, 1970, →ISBN, folio cxcvii, verso, column 1

   Theſe are his ſubſtance, ſinevves, armes, and ſtrength, / VVith vvhich he yoaketh your rebellious Neckes, / Razeth your Cities, and ſubuerts your Tovvnes, / And in a moment makes them deſolate.

   1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 103, column 1

   Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jeruſalem; who ſayd, raſe it, raſe it: euen to the foundation thereof.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 137:7, signature Hhh2, verso, column 2

   [N]ovv I find, / Theſe men vvould render thee the ſhame, of all men; nor vvould pay, / Their ovvne vovves to thee, vvhen they tooke, their free and honord vvay, / From Argos hither; that till Troy, vvere by their braue hands rac't, / They vvould not turne home; […]

   [1611?], Homer, “The Second Booke of Homers Iliads”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC, page 22

   For his further ſecuritie he [Don Roderigo] diſarmed his ſubjects; ſuch Caſtles and ſtrengths as hee vvas jealous of vvere raced, […]

   a. 1619 (date written), Walter Raleigh, The Life and Death of Mahomet, the Conquest of Spaine together with the Rysing and Ruine of the Sarazen Empire, London: […] R[alph] H[odgkinson] for Daniel Frere, […], published 1637, →OCLC, page 50

2. figurativelytransitiveTo completely remove (someone or something), especially from a place, a situation, etc.; also, to remove from existence; to destroy, to obliterate.

   Ile find a day to maſſacre them all, / And race their faction and their familie, […]

   c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature C2, recto

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   Yet at the laſt, caſting with my ſelf, that yͤ heat of thy loue might cleane be razed with yͤ coldnes of my letter, I thought it good to commit an inconuenience, that I might preuent a miſchiefe, chuſing rather to cut thée off ſhort by rigour, then to giue thée any iot of hope by ſilence.

   1580, Iohn Lyly [i.e., John Lyly], “To Philautus”, in Euphues and His England. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 71, recto

   VVithout reſpect of ſex, degree or age. / He raceth all his foes vvith fire and ſvvord.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act IIII, scene i

   It is true, the Devil did not immediately raſe out the Notion of Religion and of a God from the Minds of Men, […]

   1726, [Daniel Defoe], “Of the Devil’s Second Kingdom, and How He Got Footing in the Renew’d World by His Victory over Noah and His Race”, in The Political History of the Devil, as well Ancient as Modern: […], London: […] T. Warner, […], →OCLC, part I, page 156

   [I]t seemed his desire to raze every trace of sorrow from the memory of his child; and to conceal the ravages of death under the appearance at least of wild and unceasing gaiety.

   1816, [Caroline Lamb], chapter VIII, in Glenarvon. […], volume I, London: […] [Schulze and Dean] for Henry Colburn, →OCLC, page 69

   Synonyms: destroy, annihilate, aerosolize, atomize, benothing, bewreck, blot out, blotto

3. alsofigurativelytransitiveTo erase (a record, text, etc.), originally by scraping; to rub out, to scratch out.

   [N]o malice of ſucceeding daies, / can raſe thoſe records of thy laſting praiſe.

   1595, G. W. I[unior], “[Dedicatory poem]”, in Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, signature [¶4], recto

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   Suppleyng to Fame, I besought her grace, / And that it wolde please her, full tenderly I prayd, / Owt of her bokis Apollo to rase.

   1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 420, lines 1478–1480

   The wound alas happe in some other place, / From whence no toole away the skar can race.

   c. 1528–1541 (date written), Thomas Wyatt, “[Sonnets] Sonnet 31”, in A[gnes] K[ate] Foxwell, editor, The Poems of Sir Thomas Wiat […], volume I, London: Hodder and Stoughton [for the] University of London Press, published 1913, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 43, lines 13–14

   [D]rowſie drouping Age, / incroaching on apace, / With penſiue Plough will raze your hue / and Beauties beames deface.

   1567, George Turbervil[l]e, “The Louer Exhorteth His Ladie to Take Time, while Time is”, in Epitaphes, Epigrams, Songs and Sonets, with a Discourse of the Friendly Affections of Tymetes to Pyndara His Ladie. […], London: […] Henry Denham, →OCLC, folios 32, verso – 33, recto

   Thus there he ſtood, vvhyleſt high ouer his head, / There vvritten vvas the purport of his ſin, / In cyphers ſtrange, that fevv could rightly read, / BON FONS: but bon that once had vvritten bin, / VVas raced out, and Mal vvas novv put in.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 26, page 303

   Goodl[ack]. My name is Captaine Thomas Good—— / Beſſ[e Bridges]. I can ſee no good in thee, Race that ſyllable / Out of thy name.

   c. 1597–1603 (date written), Thomas Heywood, The Fair Maid of the West. Or, A Girle Worth Gold. The First Part. […], London: […] [Miles Flesher] for Richard Royston, […], published 1631, →OCLC, Act III, page 38

4. regionaltransitivearchaic except UKTo wound (someone or part of their body) superficially; to graze.

   I cou'd not bear / To raze thy Skin [with a dagger], to ſave the VVorld from Ruin.

   1719 March 18 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Edward Young, Busiris, King of Egypt. A Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1719, →OCLC, Act V, page 68

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   [T]he ſvvorde more mercifull then hee to himſelfe, vvith the ſlipping of the pommel, the point ſvvarued, and razed him but vpon the ſide: […]

   The New Arcadia

   a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “[The Thirde Booke] Chapter 24”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC, folio 342, verso

   For vvas he not in the neareſt Neighbourhood to Death? And might not the Bullet, that perhaps raſed his Cheek, have as eaſily gone into his Head?

   1685 March 3 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar); first published 1692, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached at Westminster-Abbey, February 22. 168⁴⁄₅.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet, […], →OCLC, page 403

   Yet did a splinter of his lance / Through Alexander's visor glance, / And razed the skin—a puny wound.

   1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Third. The Hostel, or Inn.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XXVI, page 159

5. obsoletetransitiveTo alter (a document) by erasing parts of it.

   But I vvill take another order novv, / And race th'eternall Regiſter of time: […]

   1594, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nash[e], The Tragedie of Dido Queene of Carthage: […], London: […] Widdowe Orwin, for Thomas Woodcocke, […], →OCLC, Act III, signature A3, recto

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   This indenture is raced all the worlde may ſe it: Ceſte indenture eſt faulcée tout le monde le peult veoyr.

   1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Verbes”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio cccxxxii, recto, column 1; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC

   [page 650] A raſing or cancelling of a record by the order of that court, in vvhoſe cuſtody the record is, is no felony in him that doth it, nor in the court that commands it, for the court hath a ſuperintendence, as vvell over the record as over the clerks. […] It muſt be ſuch an embezzelling or avoiding of the record, by reaſon vvhereof a judgment is reverſed, […] [page 651] [I]f A. B. be ſued by the original to the exigent and outlavved, and aftervvard the exigent is made C. B. and the original is alſo made C. B. to make all agree, this is felony as vvell in the clerk that raſeth the original, as him that raſeth the exigent.

   a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, “Concerning the New Felonies Enacted in the Times of H[enry] 4. H[enry] 5. H[enry] 6. E[dward] 4.”, in Sollom Emlyn, editor, Historia Placitorum Coronæ: The History of the Pleas of the Crown, […], volume I, In the Savoy [London]: […] E[lizabeth] and R[ichard] Nutt, and R. Gosling (assigns of Edward Sayer, Esq.), for F. Gyles […], T. Woodward […], and C. Davis […], published 1736, →OCLC, pages 650–651

6. obsoletetransitiveTo carve (a line, mark, etc.) into something; to incise, to inscribe; also, to carve lines, marks, etc., into (something); to engrave.

   This vvas the heart thou piercedſt, theſe are the vvounds thou razedſt, and this is the blood thou ſpilledſt: […]

   1759, Isaac Ambrose, “Dooms-day”, in The Compleat Works of that Eminent Minister of God’s Word Mr. Isaac Ambrose, […], Dundee, Scotland: […] Henry Galbraith and Company, →OCLC, page 304, column 1

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   Generally, Barbarous People, that goe Naked, doe not onely paint Themſelues, but they povvnce and raze their Skinne, that the Painting may not be taken forth; And make it into VVorks.

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century. [Experiment Solitary, Touching Paintings of the Body.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 739, page 191

   [Y]ou muſt mark the out-lines of your intended Hinge, […] either vvith Chalk, or elſe raſe upon the Plate vvith the corner of the Cold-Chiſſel, or any other hardned Steel that vvill ſcratch a bright ſtroke upon the Plate: […]

   1678 January 11 – February 11 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] II. Applied to the Making of Hinges, Locks, Keys, Screws and Nuts Small and Great.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1683, →OCLC, page 17

7. obsoletetransitiveTo remove (something) by scraping; also, to cut or shave (something) off.
8. obsoletetransitiveTo rub lightly along the surface of (something); brush against, to graze.

   Sometimes, his feet raſed the ſurface of the water; and, at others, the ſkylight almoſt flattened his noſe.

   Vathek

   1786, [William Beckford], translated by [Samuel Henley], An Arabian Tale, from an Unpublished Manuscript: […] [Vathek], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 103

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   And novv [the Rhine] by this time augmented vvith ſnovv, melted and reſolved into vvater, and raſing as it goes the high bankes vvith their curving reaches, entreth into a round and vaſt lake (vvhich the Rhætians dvvelling thereby, call Brigantia) […]

   1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XV. Booke.] Chapter III. Warre against the Lentienses, a People of Alemaine. The Description of the Lake Brigantia. The Romane Armie Discomfited and Put to Flight, having within a while after Vanquished the Alemans, Returned to Millaine, there to Winter.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, page 33

9. obsoletetransitiveTo scrape (something), with or as if with a razor, to remove things from its surface; also, to reduce (something) to small pieces by scraping; to grate.

   And you are a ſoule, ſo vvhite, and ſo chaſte, / A table ſo ſmooth, and ſo nevvly ra'ſte, / As nothing cald foule, / Dare approach vvith a blot, / Or any leaſt ſpot; […]

   1621 August 13 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Ben Jonson, “The Masque of the Gypsies”, in Q. Horatius Flaccus: His Art of Poetry. […], London: […] J[ohn] Okes, for John Benson […], published 1640, →OCLC, page 65

10. obsoletetransitiveTo shave (someone or part of their body) with a razor, etc.

    [A] ſharpe worde moued thée, when other whiles a ſworde will not, then a friendly checke killeth thée, when a raſor cannot raſe thée.

    1580, Iohn Lyly [i.e., John Lyly], “Euphues to Him, that was His Philautus”, in Euphues and His England. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 82, verso

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    Do you fancy him retir'd that […] conſumes his time trifling amongſt Barbers, razing and ſprucing himſelf, Povvdering, Combing, and ſummoning a Council upon every Hair?

    1667, J[ohn] Evelyn, Publick Employment and an Active Life, with Its Appanages, such as Fame, Command, Riches, Conversation, &c. Preferred to Solitude: […], London: […] J. M. for H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC, pages 95–96

11. alsofigurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo cut, scratch, or tear (someone or something) with a sharp object; to lacerate, to slash.

    His death did raze hir heart.

    1569 (date written), [Giovanni Boccaccio], “The Tenth Historie”, in Tragicall Tales […], London: […] Abell Ieffs, […], published 1587, →OCLC, folio 140, recto

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    Buckles and agglettes at vnwares, ſhall race his bowe, a thinge both euill for the fight, ⁊ perillous for freatinge.

    1545, Roger Ascham, “The Seconde Booke”, in Toxophilus, the Schole, or Partitions of Shooting […], [new] edition, London: […] Thomas Marshe, published 1571, →OCLC, folio 38, recto

    Dravv forth thy ſvvord, thou mightie man at armes, / Intending but to raiſe my charmed ſkin: / And Ioue himſelfe vvill ſtretch his hand from heauen, / To vvard the blovv, and ſhield me ſafe from harme, […]

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii

    Paine in a horſſes teeth commeth either from pride and corruption of blood, or els from cold rhums, […] the cure is, vvith a ſharp knife to race him alongſt his gummes, cloſe vnder his teeth, both of the inſide and outſide: and then to rubbe them all ouer, either vvith pepper & ſalt vvel mingled together, or vvith claret vvine and pepper heated vpon the fire, […]

    1607, Gervase Markham, “Of Paine in the Teeth, and of the Woolfes”, in Cauelarice, or The English Horseman: […], London: […] [Edward Allde and W[illiam] Jaggard] for Edward White, […], →OCLC, 7th book, page 54

    Againe, a horſe vvill haue great paine in his teeth vvhen his vpper iavv teeth be ſo farre grovvne as they ouer-hang the neather iavv teeth; and therevvith alſo be ſo ſharpe, as in mouing his iavves they cut and raze the inſides of his cheekes, euen as they vvere razed vvith a knife.

    1610, Gervase Markham, “Of Paine in a Horses Teeth, of Woolfes Teeth and Iaw Teeth”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All Possible Knowledge whatsoeuer which doth Belong to any Smith, Farrier, or Horse-leech, Touching the Curing of All Manner of Diseases or Sorrances in Horses; […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson, […], →OCLC, 2nd book (Containing All Cures Chyrurgicall, […]), page 266

    Then File one edge very ſtraight by laying a ſtraight Ruler juſt vvithin the edge of it, and dravving or raceing vvith a point of hardned Steel a bright line by the ſide of the Ruler: […]

    1678 January 11 – February 11 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] II. Applied to the Making of Hinges, Locks, Keys, Screws and Nuts Small and Great. Of Locks and Keys.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1683, →OCLC, page 19

12. intransitiveobsoleteTo carve lines, marks, etc., into something.
13. intransitiveobsoleteTo graze or rub lightly along a surface.

    Rádere, […] to raze or go along the ſhore as a ſhip doth, or to flye leuell to the ground as ſome birds do.

    1598, John Florio, “Rádere”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 308, column 1

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    Betwene theſe Ilandes and the continente, he entered into ſoo narowe ſtreyghtes, that he coulde ſcarſely turne backe the ſhippes: And theſe alſo ſo ſhalowe, that the keele of the ſhyps ſumtyme raſed on the ſandes.

    1555, Peter Martyr of Angleria [i.e., Peter Martyr d’Anghiera], “The Thyrde Booke of the Fyrst Decade, to Lodouike Cardinall of Aragonye and Neuie to the Kynge”, in Rycharde [i.e., Richard] Eden, transl., The Decades of the Newe Worlde or West India, […], London: […] [Rycharde Jug for] Guilhelmi Powell, →OCLC, 1st decade, folio 15, verso

14. intransitiveobsoleteTo penetrate through something; to pierce.

    [O]ne Robert Dutch of Ipſvvith, having been ſorely vvounded by a Bullet that raſed to his skull, and then mauled by the Indian Hatchets, left for dead by the Salvages,^([sic – meaning Savages]) and ſtript by them of all but his skin; […]

    1677, W[illiam] Hubbard, The Present State of New-England. Being a Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians in New England, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Parkhurst […], →OCLC, page 39

15. intransitiveobsoleterareOf a horse: to wear down its corner teeth as it ages, losing the black marks in their crevices.

plural razes · alternative rase

1. obsoleteA slight wound; a scratch; also, a cut, a slit.

   [A] man had better receive tvventy vvounds in his good name, then but a ſingle raze in his conſcience.

   1631 November (date delivered), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Aulum.] The First Sermon. White Hall, November 1631.”, in Twenty Sermons Formerly Preached. […], London: […] R. Norton, for Henry Seile […], published 1656, →OCLC, page 21

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   And verely the Emperour Nero vvas ſo greatly enamoured vpon one image of Alexander [the Great], that hee commaunded it to be guilded all over: but aftervvards, ſeeing that the more coſt vvas beſtovved upon it by laying on gold, the leſſe vvas the art ſeene of the firſt vvorkman [Lysippos], ſo that it loſt all the beautie and grace that it had by that means, he cauſed the gold to be taken off againe: and verely, the ſaid image thus unguilded as it vvas, ſeemed farre more precious than it vvas vvhiles it ſtood ſo enriched vvith gold, notvvithſtanding all the hackes, cuts, gaſhes, and raſes all over the bodie vvherein the gold did ſticke, remained ſtill, vvhich in ſome ſort might disfigure it.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXIV.] Of 366 Excellent Peeces of Worke in Brasse, and as Many Cunning Artificers in that Kind.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 499

   [I]f you make tvvo razes on each ſide [of the horse's hoof], it ſhall bee ſo much the better, and inlarge the hoofe the more; […]

   1610, Gervase Markham, “Of the Hoofe-bound”, in Markhams Maister-peece. Or, What doth a Horse-man Lacke. Containing All Possible Knowledge whatsoeuer which doth Belong to any Smith, Farrier, or Horse-leech, Touching the Curing of All Manner of Diseases or Sorrances in Horses; […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson, […], →OCLC, 2nd book (Containing All Cures Chyrurgicall, […]), pages 382–383

   [T]ake the Cold-Chiſſel in your left hand, and ſet the edge of it upon that mark or raſe, and vvith the Hand Hammer in your right hand ſtrike upon the Head of the Cold-Chiſſel, till you cut, or rather punch the edge of the Cold-Chiſſel almoſt through the Plate in that place: […]

   1678 January 11 – February 11 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Moxon, “Numb[er] II. Applied to the Making of Hinges, Locks, Keys, Screws and Nuts Small and Great. Of Hinges.”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume I, London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1683, →OCLC, page 17

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of race (“rhizome of ginger”).

plural razes

1. A swinging fence in a watercourse to prevent cattle passing through.