From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Rather \Rath"er\ (r[a^][th]"[~e]r; 277), adv. [AS. hra[eth]or,
compar. of hra[eth]e, hr[ae][eth]e, quickly, immediately. See
{Rath}, a.]
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1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.]
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Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I.
--Chaucer.
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A good mean to come the rather to grace. --Foxe.
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2. More readily or willingly; preferably.
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My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life.
--Job vii. 15.
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3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or
suggested; instead.
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Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. --Mark
v. 26.
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4. Of two alternatives conceived of, this by preference to,
or as more likely than, the other; somewhat.
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He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain,
And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain.
--Dryden.
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5. More properly; more correctly speaking.
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This is an art
Which does mend nature, change it rather, but
The art itself is nature. --Shak.
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6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the
house is rather damp.
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{The rather}, the more so; especially; for better reason; for
particular cause.
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You are come to me in happy time,
The rather for I have some sport in hand. --Shak.
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{Had rather}, or {Would rather}, prefer to; prefers to; as,
he had rather, or would rather go than stay. "I had rather
speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand
words in an unknown tongue." --1 Cor. xiv. 19. See {Had
rather}, under {Had}.
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