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rules

noun

a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc.: the rules of chess.

the code of regulations observed by a religious order or congregation: the Franciscan rule.

the customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc.: the rule rather than the exception.

control, government, or dominion: under the rule of a dictator.

tenure or conduct of reign or office: during the rule of George III.

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a prescribed mathematical method for performing a calculation or solving a problem.

ruler (def. 2).

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Norma.

Printing. a thin, type-high strip of metal, for printing a solid or decorative line or lines.

10.

Law.

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).

a legal principle.

a court order in a particular case.

11.

rules, Penology. (formerly)

a fixed area in the neighborhood of certain prisons within which certain prisoners were allowed to live.

the freedom of such an area.

12.

Obsolete. behavior.

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verb (used with object)

13.

to control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern: to rule the empire with severity.

14.

to decide or declare judicially or authoritatively; decree: The judge ruled that he should be exiled.

15.

to mark with lines, especially parallel straight lines, with the aid of a ruler or the like: to rule paper.

16.

to mark out or form (a line) by this method: to rule lines on paper.

17.

to be superior or preeminent in (a specific field or group); dominate by superiority; hold sway over: For centuries, England ruled the seas.

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Rules is always a great word to know.

So is doohickey. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

verb (used without object)

18.

to exercise dominating power or influence; predominate.

19.

to exercise authority, dominion, or sovereignty.

20.

to make a formal decision or ruling, as on a point at law.

21.

to be prevalent or current: Higher prices ruled throughout France.

Verb phrase

22.

rule out,

to prove to be unrelated or not for consideration; eliminate; exclude: to rule out the possibility of error.

to make impossible or impracticable: The rainstorm ruled out the holiday camping.

Idioms

23.

as a rule, generally; usually: He arrives at eleven o'clock, as a rule.

24.

rule the roost. roost (def. 6).

Origin:
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English riule, reule < Old French riule < Latin rēgula straight stick, pattern (see regula); (v.) Middle English riwlen, reulen, rewellen < Old French riuler, rieuler, ruler < Late Latin rēgulāre, derivative of rēgula

Related forms

in·ter·rule, verb (used with object), -ruled, -rul·ing.

self-rule, noun

sub·rule, noun

un·der·rule, noun

un·der·rule, verb, -ruled, -rul·ing.

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un·ruled, adjective

well-ruled, adjective

COLLAPSE

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, especially 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To rules

Example Sentences

Every so often a baseball player does something that gets people talking about the unwritten rules of baseball.

But the rules can be adjusted to serve their purpose without putting perfectly good programs out of business.

The initiatives that imposed the supermajority rules thus made the legislature less, not more, accountable.

EXPAND

Every so often a baseball player does something that gets people talking about the unwritten rules of baseball.

But the rules can be adjusted to serve their purpose without putting perfectly good programs out of business.

The initiatives that imposed the supermajority rules thus made the legislature less, not more, accountable.

The field marshall explains the official rules of professional jousting.

After reviewing the contest rules and list of frequently asked questions, you will be fully prepared to enter the contest.

Remember it is subject to the same traffic rules as automobiles.

Its rules section lays out the governing principles of the page, and its membership section lists links to many on-topic sites.

Alternate-side street-cleaning rules are suspended for two days.

But the department has determined that the commission is still not in compliance with some rules and.

Existing rules are also being enforced more keenly.

Strictly adhering to the rules may ensure mediocre photographs.

Self-plagiarism case prompts calls for agencies to tighten rules.

As officials debate controversial new rules to curb pollution, scientists find the sources are.

New rules are designed to avert future financial disasters, but they could also dampen bank profits.

Meanwhile, the department made one modification to the final rules governing foreign medical schools.

Union rules make it extremely hard to fire teachers who turn out to be bad at their jobs.

Top photographers break the rules as often as they keep them.

The new rules will boost fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Thanks to our attorneys, the rules are impressively elaborate.

After a cancer diagnosis, following a few basic rules will help you navigate the health care system.

No doubt, the new net-neutrality rules will be challenged in the courts as well.

Research shows that huge colonies of marauding army ants use simple movement rules to minimize congestion along forest trails.

Families become suspects as rules on dna matches relax.

Like the game itself, feather bowling rules are pretty simple.

The rules are intended to prevent brokers and lenders from unfairly profiting from new mortgage loans.

They grow no food, raise no livestock, and live without rules or calendars.

Knowing how to count lets kindergartners do arithmetic before they learn its rules.

Clearly he thinks that the rules do not apply to him.

As the ice melts, new international rules for shipping and fishing are needed.

Instead each animal was following simple rules evolved over thousands of years of wolf attacks.

The rules of the gang are that every day each girl must wear a tank top that.

The rules of the race allow them to whip their own horse or a competing horse or rider.

International adoptions are slow because of tightened rules and scandals.

The primate preference for fairness may depend on complex social rules.

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world, according to the old saying.

New rules could make it easier for underwater borrowers to refinance their mortgages.

Researchers are closing in on the rules that the brain uses to lay down memories.

Every community along the way is subject to rules set by the individual town historic commissions.

Officials said the rules would be backed up by stepped-up raids on workplaces across the country that employ illegal immigrants.

New rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from existing and new power plants and oil.

It is a shame that pre-history and history gets destroyed because someone makes rules that are hard or too expensive to follow.

Most economists today don't ask who rules the global economy.

There is no obvious reason why the rules of quantum mechanics shouldn't apply to large objects.

Beijing uses inconsistencies in international trade rules to spur its own economy at the expense of others.

Research shows that such rules underlie the group behaviors of.

It is a hobby of many golfers to contemplate the intricacies of the rules.

It also offers general rules for predicting the influence these animals could have on bird ecosystems in the future.

Recycling rules vary for mercury-containing fluorescents.

Large molecules, they found, moved according to the same rules as small molecules.

These rules are simple to describe but have been remarkably hard to explain.

Science oft resembles the federal tax code: the rules are rigid, but they also keep changing.

The debate now will focus on how strict-or lax-those rules will.

It is unlikely that it does so following the precise, algebraic rules children learn in grade school.

Stricter and more complete enforcement of existing rules is even more critical.

Your immunity to seeing independent barber poles implies that some fairly complex rules of image segmentation.

Your perceptual systems integrating vision and touch are on autopilot, as it were, applying their own statistical rules.

The rules are simple enough for kids to learn, and the game was creative and engaging.

For one thing, linguistic rules influence how much information a person must convey.

The federal agency will issue fracking wastewater rules to strengthen state-level standards.

You've memorized the rules and used them so many times they have.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

Rules (ruːlz)

—*pl n*
1.	short for Australian Rules
2.	English history the Rules the neighbourhood around certain prisons (esp the Fleet and King's Bench prison) in which trusted prisoners were allowed to live under specified restrictions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

rule

early 13c., "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 late 14c.; meaning "strip used for making straight lines" is c.1400 (see rule (n.)).

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"Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

rule (r&oomacr;l)
n.

A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior.
A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases; a standard.

Slang Dictionary

rule definition

in.
to dominate; to be the best. (Slang only in certain contexts. Typical in graffiti.) : Pizza rules around here.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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