(rā) noun
1. A narrow beam of light or other line of propagation of any form of radiant energy; line of radiating force; radiation.
2. A manifestation of intellectual light.
3. One of several lines radiating from an object.
4. Geom. A straight line emerging from a center and unlimited in one direction only.
5. A streak or line; a straight row.
6. Zool. a One of the rods supporting the membrane of a fish's fin. b One of the radiating parts of a radiate animal, as a starfish.
7. Bot. a A ray-like flower, b One of the pedicels or flower stalks of an umbel.
8. Physics A stream of particles spontaneously emitted by a radioactive substance.
9. A trace or minute particle: Not a ray of life was present.
—v.i.
1. To emit rays; shine.
2. To issue forth as rays; radiate.
—v.t.
3. To send forth as rays.
4. To mark with rays or radiating lines.
5. To irradiate.
6. To treat with or expose to X-rays, etc. [<OF rai <L radius. Doublet of RADIUS.]

(rā) noun
Any of a large order (Batoidea) of elasmobranch fishes having the eyes on the top and the mouth and gill slits on the underside of a usually flat body, with the pectoral fins forming a winglike extension on either side, and usually having a slender, whiplike tail, as the mantas, skates, stingrays, etc. [<F raie <L raia]

(rā), Cape
A promontory at the SW extremity of Newfoundland at the entrance to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.