Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To level to the ground; demolish. synonym: destroy.
  • transitive verb To scrape or shave off.
  • transitive verb To erase.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An obsolete form of racc.
  • noun A swinging fence set up in a watercourse to prevent the passage of cattle.
  • See rase.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A Shakespearean word (used once) supposed to mean the same as race, a root.
  • transitive verb To erase; to efface; to obliterate.
  • transitive verb To subvert from the foundation; to lay level with the ground; to overthrow; to destroy; to demolish.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To demolish; to level to the ground.
  • verb transitive To scrape as if with a razor.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb tear down so as to make flat with the ground

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English rasen, to scrape off, from Old French raser, from Vulgar Latin *rāsāre, frequentative of Latin rādere; see rash.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French raser

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Examples

  • Contrary to the official version, in this story, word had spread from a servant in Lot's household, that the angels were there to raze the city.

    A Story From Sodom Hal Duncan 2009

  • Douglas Development is in the process of acquiring the necessary permits to raze a vacant auto lot at 2221 14th Street, NW.

    Matthew Yglesias » Latinos Selling Cars is Not That Baffling 2009

  • As a local administrator, Mr. Zalmai spends a good deal of time these days complaining that the Americans failed to consult him about plans to raze one government office to build another.

    Launching the Missile That Made History Michael M. Phillips 2011

  • The first season ends with Jimmy rousing Pufnstuf, who vows to raze the island if Witchipoo does not relinquish the Mayorship.

    MIND MELD: SciFi TV Shows That Deserve A Remake (with Videos) 2010

  • While the units are subject to rent control, officials are concerned that Equity Residential would raze some of them and build higher buildings filled with market-rate apartments.

    Trials in Low-Rent Bastion in Silicon Valley Dawn Wotapka 2011

  • The building was shrouded in black as Deutsche Bank and its insurers fought over whether to raze it or clean it.

    Toxic Deutsche Bank Building Finally Coming Down AP 2011

  • A young white couple wants to raze the bungalow and build a big house there complete with koi pond, but their first encounter with their neighbors doesn't go as planned.

    A Dream Reimagined Ellen Gamerman 2011

  • Thor plans to raze the properties and erect a glass box structure that will be the retail base for a 350,000 square foot building.

    Fifth Avenue's New Anchor Craig Karmin 2011

  • The building was shrouded in black as Deutsche Bank and its insurers fought over whether to raze it or clean it.

    Toxic Deutsche Bank Building Finally Coming Down AP 2011

  • "You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city."

    September 5th, 2009 m_francis 2009

Comments

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  • The un-raise.

    September 27, 2010

  • CDC says 'An obsolete form of racc' yet has no entry for racc. Tyop?

    July 3, 2012

  • Perhaps the Centers for Disease Control were thinking of raccoons. We could try to ask their raccoonnookkeeper.

    July 3, 2012

  • Compare razzia.

    April 25, 2016