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English Lexicon

Ray

/reɪ/
nounverbCEFR B1 (Intermediate)Top #2150 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A narrow beam of light or other electromagnetic radiation emitted from a point source.

    "A single ray of sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds."
  2. 2

    A flat-bodied cartilaginous marine fish related to sharks, typically having large pectoral fins.

    "We saw a majestic manta ray gliding gracefully along the ocean floor."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Middle English word 'raye', originating from the Old French 'rai', which stems from the Latin 'radius', meaning a staff, rod, or ray of light. Over centuries, the meaning expanded from a geometrical line to narrow beams of light, energy, and metaphoric flashes of hope or intelligence.

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