Nearby Words

ruling

[roo-ling] Origin

rul·ing

[roo-ling]
noun
1.
an authoritative decision, as one by a judge on a debated point of law.
2.
the act of drawing straight lines with a ruler.
3.
ruled lines.
adjective
4.
governing or dominating: the ruling party.
5.
controlling; predominating: the ruling factor in recovery from an illness.
6.
widespread; prevalent: ruling prices; ruling values.

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Ruling is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English (gerund); see rule, -ing1, -ing2

non·rul·ing, noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

rule

[rool] ,noun, verb, ruled, rul·ing.
noun
1.
a principle or regulation governing conduct, action, procedure, arrangement, etc.: the rules of chess.
2.
the code of regulations observed by a religious order or congregation: the Franciscan rule.
3.
the customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc.: the rule rather than the exception.
4.
control, government, or dominion: under the rule of a dictator.
5.
tenure or conduct of reign or office: during the rule of George III.
EXPAND
6.
a prescribed mathematical method for performing a calculation or solving a problem.
7.
ruler (def. 2).
8.
(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.
b.
the freedom of such an area.
12.
Obsolete. behavior.
COLLAPSE
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.
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.
22.
rule out,
a.
to prove to be unrelated or not for consideration; eliminate; exclude: to rule out the possibility of error.
b.
to make impossible or impracticable: The rainstorm ruled out the holiday camping.
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

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.
EXPAND
un·ruled, adjective
well-ruled, adjective
COLLAPSE


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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Collins
World English Dictionary
ruling (ˈruːlɪŋ)
 
n
1.  a decision of someone in authority, such as a judge
2.  one or more parallel ruled lines
 
adj
3.  controlling or exercising authority: the ruling classes
4.  prevalent or predominant

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.)).
EXPAND
"Rule Brittania," patriotic song, is from 1740.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

rule (r&oomacr;l)
n.

  1. A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behavior.

  2. A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases; a standard.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary

rule definition


  1. 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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