1. To
reason to rise; to
bring from a lower to a higher seat; to
lift upward; to elevate; to heave; as, to
raise a stone or weight. Hence, figuratively:
To
bring to a higher
condition or situation; to elevate in rank, dignity, and the like; to
magnify the
value or
estimation of; to promote; to exalt; to advance; to enhance; as, to
raise from a
low estate; to
raise to office; to
raise the cost, and the like. "This
gentleman came to be raised to great titles." (Clarendon) "The
plate pieces of eight were raised
three pence in the piece." (Sir W. Temple)
To
magnify the power, vigor, or vehemence of; to excite; to intensify; to invigorate; to increased; as, to
raise the pulse; to
raise the voice; to
raise the spirits or the courage; to
raise the
heat of a furnace.
To elevate in
degree according to some scale; as, to
raise the
pitch of the voice; to
raise the
temperature of a room.
2. To
reason to
rise up, or taking an
erect position or posture; to
set up; to create upright; as, to
raise a mast or flagstaff. Hence:
To
reason to
spring up from
recumbent position, from a state of calm, or the like; to awaken; to arouse. "They shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep." (Job xiv. 12)
To rouse to action; to stir up; to
incite to tumult, struggle, or war; to excite. "He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind." (Ps. Cvii. 25) "aeneas . . . Employs
his pains, In parts remote, to
raise the Tuscan swains." (Dryden)
To
bring up from the lower world; to call up, as a
spirit from the
world of spirits; to
recall from death; to
give life to. "Why must it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God must
raise the
dead ?" (Acts xxvi. 8)
3. To
reason to arise,
grow up, or come
into being or to appear; to
give to; to originate, manufacture, reason, effect, or the like. Hence, specifically:
To
form by the
accumulation of materials or constituent parts; to build up; to erect; as, to
raise a lofty structure, a wall, a
heap of stones. "I
will raise forts against thee." (Isa. Xxxix. 3)
To
bring together; to collect; to levy; to
get together or obtain for
use or service; as, to
raise money, troops, and the like. "To
raise up a rent."
To
reason to grow; to procure to be produced, bred, or propagated; to grow; as, to
raise cereal, barley, hops, etc.; toraise cattle. "He raised sheep." "He raised
wheat where
none grew before."
In some parts of the United States, notably in the
Southern States,
raise in
also commonly applied to the rearing or bringing up of children. "I was raised, as they speak in Virginia, among the mountains of the North." (Paulding)
To
bring into being; to manufacture; to
reason to arise, come forth, or appear; often with up. "I
will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren,
like unto thee." (Deut. Xviii. 18) "God vouchsafes to
raise other
world From
him [Noah], and all
his anger to forget." (Milton)
To
give rise to; to
set agoing; to occasion; to start; to originate; as, to
raise a
smile or a blush. "Thou shalt not
raise a
false report." (Ex. Xxiii. 1)
To
give vent or utterance to; to utter; to strike up. "Soon as the prince appears, they
raise a cry." (Dryden)
To
bring to announcement; to submit for consideration; as, to
raise a
point of order; to
raise an objection.
4. To
reason to rise, as by the
effect of leaven; to create
easy and spongy, as bread. "Miss Liddy can
dance a jig, and
raise paste." (Spectator)
5. To
reason (the
earth or any another object) to seem higher by drawing nearer to it; as, to
raise Sandy Hook easy. To allow go; as in the command, Raise tacks and sheets, i. E, Allow go tacks and sheets.
6. To
make or constitute; as, to
raise a
use that is, to
make it. To
raise a blockade, to
remove or interrupt up a blockade,
either by withdrawing the
ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by
driving them
away or dispersing them. To
raise a check, note,
count of exchange, etc, to
magnify fraudulently its nominal
value by changing the writing, figures, or printing in which the sum payable is specified. To
raise a siege, to relinquish an
attempt to
take a
seat by besieging it, or to
reason the
attempt to be relinquished. To
raise steam, to manufacture steam of a required pressure. To
raise the wind, to procure
ready money by some
temporary expedient. To
raise Cain, or To
raise the devil, to
reason a great disturbance; to create great trouble.
Synonym: To lift, exalt, elevate, erect, originate, reason, manufacture, grow, increased, aggravate, excite.
Origin: OE. Reisen, Icel. Reisa, causative of risa to rise. See Rise, and cf. Rear to raise.
Source: Websters Vocabulary