(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Norma.
9.
Printing. a thin, type-high strip of metal, for printing a solid or decorative line or lines.
10.
Law.
a.
a formal order or direction made by a court, as for governing the procedure of the court (general rule) or for sending the case before a referee (special rule).
b.
a legal principle.
c.
a court order in a particular case.
11.
rules, Penology. (formerly)
a.
a fixed area in the neighborhood of certain prisons within which certain prisoners were allowed to live.
[Origin: 1175–1225; (n.) ME riule, reule < OF riule < L régula straight stick, pattern (see regula); (v.) ME riwlen, reulen, rewellen < OF riuler, rieuler, ruler < LL régulāre, deriv. of régula]
—Synonyms 1. standard, law, ruling, guide, precept, order. See principle.4. command, domination, mastery, sway, authority, direction. 13.Rule,administer,command,govern,manage mean to exercise authoritative guidance or direction. Rule implies the exercise of authority as by a sovereign: to rule a kingdom. Administer places emphasis on the planned and orderly procedures used: to administer the finances of an institution. Command suggests military authority and the power to exact obedience; to be in command of: to command a ship. To govern is authoritatively to guide or direct persons or things, esp. in the affairs of a large administrative unit: to govern a state. To manage is to conduct affairs, i.e., to guide them in a unified way toward a definite goal, or to direct or control people, often by tact, address, or artifice: to manage a business. 14. order, judge.
Governing power or its possession or use; authority.
The duration of such power.
An authoritative, prescribed direction for conduct, especially one of the regulations governing procedure in a legislative body or a regulation observed by the players in a game, sport, or contest.
The body of regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for governing the conduct of its members.
A court order limited in application to a specific case.
A subordinate regulation governing a particular matter.
An authoritative, prescribed direction for conduct, especially one of the regulations governing procedure in a legislative body or a regulation observed by the players in a game, sport, or contest.
The body of regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for governing the conduct of its members.
A court order limited in application to a specific case.
A subordinate regulation governing a particular matter.
A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior: "The rule of life in the defense bar ordinarily is to go along and get along"(Scott Turow).
A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases: In this office, hard work is the rule, not the exception.
Mathematics A standard method or procedure for solving a class of problems.
Law
A court order limited in application to a specific case.
A subordinate regulation governing a particular matter.
c.1225, "principle or maxim governing conduct," from O.Fr. riule, from V.L. *regula, from L. regula "straight stick, bar, ruler, pattern," related to regere "to rule, straighten, guide" (see right). Replaced O.E. wealdan. Meaning "regulation governing play of a game, etc." is from 1697. Phrase rule of thumb first attested 1692. Rule of law "supremacy of impartial and well-defined laws to any individual's power" is from 1883. Meaning "Strip used for making straight lines" is recorded from 1340. Typography sense is attested from 1683.
c.1225, "to control, guide, direct," from O.Fr. riuler, from L. regulare. Legal sense is recorded from 1425 (ruling "judicial decision" is from 1560). Ruler "one who rules" is recorded from c.1375; meaning "strip used for making straight lines" is c.1400 (see rule (n.)). "Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation"
2.
something regarded as a normative example; "the convention of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors" [syn: convention]
3.
prescribed guide for conduct or action
4.
(linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice
5.
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct; "their principles of composition characterized all their works" [syn: principle]
6.
the duration of a monarch's or government's power; "during the rule of Elizabeth"
7.
dominance or power through legal authority; "France held undisputed dominion over vast areas of Africa"; "the rule of Caesar" [syn: dominion]
8.
directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted; "he knew the rules of chess"
9.
any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order; "the rule of St. Dominic"
10.
a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields" [syn: principle]
11.
(mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; "he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"; "he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials"
12.
measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
verb
1.
exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?" [syn: govern]
2.
decide with authority; "The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed"
3.
be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood" [syn: predominate]
4.
decide on and make a declaration about; "find someone guilty"
Rule, TX (town, FIPS 63752) Location: 33.18200 N, 99.89294 W Population (1990): 783 (442 housing units) Area: 1.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 79547
Rule\, n. Rule of the road (Law), any of the various regulations imposed upon travelers by land or water for their mutual convenience or safety. In the United States it is a rule of the road that land travelers passing in opposite directions shall turn out each to his own right, and generally that overtaking persons or vehicles shall turn out to the left; in England the rule for vehicles (but not for pedestrians) is the opposite of this. Run \Run\, n. 1. (Piquet, Cribbage, etc.) A number of cards of the same suit in sequence; as, a run of four in hearts. 2. (Golf) (a) The movement communicated to a golf ball by running. (b) The distance a ball travels after touching the ground from a stroke.
Ra"ti*o\, n. [L., fr. reri, ratus, to reckon, believe, think, judge. See Reason.]1. (Math.) The relation which one quantity or magnitude has to another of the same kind. It is expressed by the quotient of the division of the first by the second; thus, the ratio of 3 to 6 is expressed by 3/6 or 1/2; of a to b by a/b; or (less commonly) the second is made the dividend; as, a:b = b/a. Note: Some writers consider ratio as the quotient itself, making ratio equivalent to a number. The term ratio is also sometimes applied to the difference of two quantities as well as to their quotient, in which case the former is called arithmetical ratio, the latter, geometrical ratio. The name ratio is sometimes given to the rule of three in arithmetic. See under Rule. 2. Hence, fixed relation of number, quantity, or degree; rate; proportion; as, the ratio of representation in Congress. Compound ratio, Duplicate ratio, Inverse ratio, etc. See under Compound, Duplicate, etc. Ratio of a geometrical progression, the constant quantity by which each term is multiplied to produce the succeeding one.
Reg"let\ (r?g"l?t), n. [F. r['e]glet, dim. of r[`e]gle a rule, L. regula. See Rule.]1. (Arch.) A flat, narrow molding, used chiefly to separate the parts or members of compartments or panels from one another, or doubled, turned, and interlaced so as to form knots, frets, or other ornaments. See Illust. (12) of Column. 2. (Print.)A strip of wood or metal of the height of a quadrat, used for regulating the space between pages in a chase, and also for spacing out title-pages and other open matter. It is graded to different sizes, and designated by the name of the type that it matches; as, nonpareil reglet, pica reglet, and the like.
Reg"u*lar\ (-l?r), a. [L. regularis, fr. regula a rule, fr. regere to guide, to rule: cf. F. r['e]gulier. See Rule.]1. Conformed to a rule; agreeable to an established rule, law, principle, or type, or to established customary forms; normal; symmetrical; as, a regular verse in poetry; a regular piece of music; a regular verb; regular practice of law or medicine; a regular building. 2. Governed by rule or rules; steady or uniform in course, practice, or occurence; not subject to unexplained or irrational variation; returning at stated intervals; steadily pursued; orderlly; methodical; as, the regular succession of day and night; regular habits. 3. Constituted, selected, or conducted in conformity with established usages, rules, or discipline; duly authorized; permanently organized; as, a regular meeting; a regular physican; a regular nomination; regular troops. 4. Belonging to a monastic order or community; as, regular clergy, in distinction dfrom the secular clergy. 5. Thorough; complete; unmitigated; as, a regular humbug. [Colloq.] 6. (Bot. & Zo["o]l.) Having all the parts of the same kind alike in size and shape; as, a regular flower; a regular sea urchin. 7. (Crystallog.) Same as Isometric. Regular polygon (Geom.), a plane polygon which is both equilateral and equiangular. Regular polyhedron (Geom.), a polyhedron whose faces are equal regular polygons. There are five regular polyhedrons, -- the tetrahedron, the hexahedron, or cube, the octahedron, the dodecahedron, and the icosahedron. Regular sales (Stock Exchange), sales of stock deliverable on the day after the transaction. Regular troops, troops of a standing or permanent army; -- opposed to militia. Syn: Normal; orderly; methodical. See Normal.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [rool] Pronunciation Key, noun, verb, ruled, rul·ing. 
