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rape1 definition

rape (rāp)

noun

    1. the crime of engaging in sexual acts, esp. involving penetration of the vagina or anus, usually forcibly, with a person who has not consented; specif., this crime committed by a man upon a woman or girl
    2. statutory rape
  2. Now Rare the act of seizing and carrying away by force
  3. the plundering or violent destruction (of a city, etc.), as in warfare
  4. any outrageous assault or flagrant violation

Etymology: ME, prob. < the v.

transitive verb raped, raping rap′·ing

  1. Now Rare to seize and carry away by force
  2. to commit rape on; violate
  3. to plunder or destroy

Etymology: ME rapen < L rapere, to seize < IE base *rep-, to seize > ON refsa, to punish, OE repsan, to reprove

intransitive verb

to commit rape
rape2 definition

rape (rāp)

noun

an annual Old World plant (Brassica napus) of the crucifer family, whose seeds yield an oil and whose leaves are used for fodder

Etymology: ME < L rapa, rapum, turnip < IE base *rap- > Ger rübe, beet, Gr rhapys, rhaphys

rape3 definition

rape (rāp)

noun

the crushed pulp of grapes after the juice has been extracted

Etymology: Fr râpe < ML raspa, ult. < or akin to OHG raspon, to scrape together: see rasp

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

law rape definition - legal

medical rape definition - medical

rape Synonyms

rape

n.

violation, sexual assault, seduction, deflowering, criminal assault, abduction, statutory offense, statutory rape, defilement, abuse, molestation, devirgination, defloration, ill-usage, maltreatment, ravishment, date rape, acquaintance rape, forcible violation, gangbang*; see also crime 2.


rape

v.

violate, assault, seize, outrage, compromise, force, molest, ravish, attack, defile, deflower, wrong, despoil, devirginate, debauch, ruin, corrupt, seduce, maltreat, abuse, bang*, take advantage of*.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

rape Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • torture: Information about torture, rape and trauma refugees experienced is also not readily available.

Adjective modifier

  • attempted: Rape can happen to anyone and in 2004 there were an estimated 200,000 serious sexual assaults and almost 50,000 rapes or attempted rapes.

Modifies a noun

  • victim: The rape film helped to change police treatment of rape victims.

Noun used with modifier

  • oilseed: Across the road from the camp is the closely watched GM oilseed rape field trial.
rape usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

rape quotes

Sleep demands of us a guilty immunity. There is not one of us who, given an eternal incognito, a thumbprint nowhere set against our souls, would not commit rape, murder and all abominations.

-Barnes, Djuna

A cocktail is to a glass of wine as rape is to love.

-Claudel, Paul

I go to the theatre to be entertained. I don't want to see plays about rape, sodomyand drug addictionöI can get all that at home.

-Cook, Peter

rape quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"rape." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/rape>

APA Style

rape. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/rape

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