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Webster's New World College Dictionary » raise hell
raise hell
Variant of raise
raise
definition
raise (rāz)
transitive verb raised, raising rais′·ing
- to cause to rise; move to a higher level; lift; elevate
- to bring to or place in an upright position
- to construct or erect (a building, etc.)
- to wake from sleep
- to stir up; arouse; incite to raise a revolt
- to increase in size, value, amount, etc. to raise prices
- to increase in degree, intensity, strength, etc. to raise one's voice
- to improve the position, rank, or situation of to raise oneself from poverty
- to cause to arise, appear, come, etc.; esp., to bring back as from death; reanimate to raise the dead
- to cause to come about; provoke; inspire the joke raised a laugh
- to bring forward for consideration to raise a question
- to collect, gather, or procure (an army, money, etc.)
- to utter (a cry, shout, etc.)
- to bring to an end; remove to raise a siege
- to cause to become light; leaven (bread, etc.)
- to cause to grow or to breed to raise corn or cattle
- to bring up or rear (children)
- to establish radio communication with
- to cause (a blister) to form
- to make (a nap on cloth) with teasels, etc.
- ☆ Commerce to increase by fraud the face value of (a check, etc.)
- Naut. to cause (land, another ship, etc.) to seem to rise over the horizon by approaching it; come within sight of
- ☆ Bridge to increase (one's partner's bid in a suit or in no-trump)
- Phonet. to change the sound of (a vowel) by putting the tongue in a higher position
- ☆ Poker to bet more than (the highest preceding bet or bettor)
Etymology: ME raisen < ON reisa, caus. of risa, to rise
intransitive verb
- Dialectal to rise or arise
- ☆ Poker to increase the bet
noun
- an act of raising
- an increase in amount
- ☆ an increase in salary or wages, or in a bet
raise Idioms
raise Cain
or raise the devil or raise hell or raise a rumpus or raise the roofSlang to create a disturbance; cause trouble
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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