Raze

raze
    v 1: tear down so as to make flat with the ground; "The building
         was levelled" [syn: {level}, {raze}, {rase}, {dismantle},
         {tear down}, {take down}, {pull down}] [ant: {erect}, {put
         up}, {raise}, {rear}, {set up}]
    

Rase \Rase\ (r[=a]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rased} (r[=a]zd); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Rasing}.] [F. raser, LL. rasare to scrape
   often, v. freq. fr. L. radere, rasum, to scrape, shave; cf.
   Skr. rad to scratch, gnaw, L. rodere to gnaw. Cf. {Raze},
   {Razee}, {Razor}, {Rodent}.]
   1. To rub along the surface of; to graze. [Obsoles.]
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            Was he not in the . . . neighborhood to death? and
            might not the bullet which rased his cheek have gone
            into his head?                        --South.
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            Sometimes his feet rased the surface of the water,
            and at others the skylight almost flattened his
            nose.                                 --Beckford.
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   2. To rub or scratch out; to erase. [Obsoles.]
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            Except we rase the faculty of memory, root and
            branch, out of our mind.              --Fuller.
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   3. To level with the ground; to overthrow; to destroy; to
      raze. [In this sense {raze} is generally used.]
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            Till Troy were by their brave hands rased,
            They would not turn home.             --Chapman.
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   Note: This word, rase, may be considered as nearly obsolete;
         graze, erase, and raze, having superseded it.
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   {Rasing iron}, a tool for removing old oakum and pitch from
      the seams of a vessel.
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   Syn: To erase; efface; obliterate; expunge; cancel; level;
        prostrate; overthrow; subvert; destroy; demolish; ruin.
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Raze \Raze\ (r[=a]z), n. [See {Race}.]
   A Shakespearean word (used once) supposed to mean the same as
   race, a root. [Obs.]
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Raze \Raze\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Razed} (r[=a]zd); p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Razing}.] [F. raser. See {Rase}, v. t.] [Written also
   {rase}.]
   1. To erase; to efface; to obliterate.
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            Razing the characters of your renown. --Shak.
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   2. To subvert from the foundation; to lay level with the
      ground; to overthrow; to destroy; to demolish.
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            The royal hand that razed unhappy Troy. --Dryden.
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   Syn: To demolish; level; prostrate; overthrow; subvert;
        destroy; ruin. See {Demolish}.
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114 Moby Thesaurus words for "raze":
      ablate, abrade, abrase, align, bark, beat down, blot, blot out,
      blow down, blow over, bowl down, bowl over, break down, bring down,
      bulldog, bulldoze, burn down, cancel, cast down, chafe, chop down,
      cross out, cut down, dash down, decimate, deck, dele, delete,
      demolish, destroy, down, drop, efface, equalize, erase, erode,
      even, expunge, fell, fetch down, file, flatten, floor, flush, fray,
      frazzle, fret, gall, gnaw, gnaw away, grade, grate, graze, grind,
      ground, hew down, knock down, knock over, lay, lay down, lay flat,
      lay level, lay low, lay out, level, mow down, obliterate,
      precipitate, prostrate, pull down, rase, rasp, roll, roll flat,
      rub away, rub off, rub out, ruin, rule out, scour, scrape, scratch,
      scratch out, scrub, scuff, send headlong, skin, smash, smooth,
      smooth out, smoothen, sponge, sponge out, spread-eagle, steamroll,
      steamroller, strike out, supinate, take down, tear down, throw,
      throw down, topple, trip, tumble, unbuild, undo, unmake, wear,
      wear away, whack down, wipe out, wrack, wreck