Ray flower

Ray flower
Ray Ray, n. [OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. {Radius}.] 1. One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays. [1913 Webster]

2. (Bot.) A radiating part of a flower or plant; the marginal florets of a compound flower, as an aster or a sunflower; one of the pedicels of an umbel or other circular flower cluster; radius. See {Radius}. [1913 Webster]

3. (Zo["o]l.) (a) One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes. (b) One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran. [1913 Webster]

4. (Physics) (a) A line of light or heat proceeding from a radiant or reflecting point; a single element of light or heat propagated continuously; as, a solar ray; a polarized ray. (b) One of the component elements of the total radiation from a body; any definite or limited portion of the spectrum; as, the red ray; the violet ray. See Illust. under {Light}. [1913 Webster]

5. Sight; perception; vision; -- from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen. [1913 Webster]

All eyes direct their rays On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

6. (Geom.) One of a system of diverging lines passing through a point, and regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. See {Half-ray}. [1913 Webster]

{Bundle of rays}. (Geom.) See {Pencil of rays}, below.

{Extraordinary ray} (Opt.), that one of two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which does not follow the ordinary law of refraction.

{Ordinary ray} (Opt.) that one of the two parts of a ray divided by double refraction which follows the usual or ordinary law of refraction.

{Pencil of rays} (Geom.), a definite system of rays.

{Ray flower}, or {Ray floret} (Bot.), one of the marginal flowers of the capitulum in such composite plants as the aster, goldenrod, daisy, and sunflower. They have an elongated, strap-shaped corolla, while the corollas of the disk flowers are tubular and five-lobed.

{Ray point} (Geom.), the common point of a pencil of rays.

{R["o]ntgen ray} (r[~e]nt"g[e^]n r[=a]`) (Phys.), a kind of ray generated in a very highly exhausted vacuum tube by the electrical discharge; now more commonly called {X-ray}. It is composed of electromagnetic radiation of wavelength shorter than that of ultraviolet light, and is capable of passing through many bodies opaque to light, and producing photographic and fluorescent effects by which means pictures showing the internal structure of opaque objects are made, called radiographs, sciagraphs, X-ray photographs, radiograms, or X-rays. So called from the discoverer, W. C. R["o]ntgen.

{X ray}, the R["o]ntgen ray; -- so called by its discoverer because of its enigmatical character, x being an algebraic symbol for an unknown quantity. [1913 Webster +PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • ray flower — n. any of the flowers around the margin of the flower head of certain composite plants, as the daisy or aster: also ray floret …   English World dictionary

  • ray flower — noun small flower with a flat strap shaped corolla usually occupying the peripheral rings of a composite flower • Syn: ↑ray floret • Hypernyms: ↑flower, ↑bloom, ↑blossom • Part Holonyms: ↑flower head * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • ray flower — ray′ flow er n. bot one of the flattened marginal florets surrounding the disk in the flower heads of certain composite plants, as the daisy. Also called ray′ floret • Etymology: 1850–55 …   From formal English to slang

  • ray flower — Bot. one of the marginal florets surrounding the disk of tubular florets in the flower heads of certain composite plants, as the daisy. Also called ray floret. [1850 55] * * * …   Universalium

  • ray flower — /ˈreɪ flaʊə/ (say ray flowuh) noun one of the marginal florets surrounding the disc of the family Compositae. Also, ray floret …  

  • ray flower — noun Date: 1839 1. one of the marginal flowers of the head in a composite plant (as the aster) that also has disk flowers 2. the entire head in a plant (as chicory) that lacks disk flowers …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Ray — Ray, n. [OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. {Radius}.] 1. One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ray floret — Ray Ray, n. [OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. {Radius}.] 1. One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ray point — Ray Ray, n. [OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. {Radius}.] 1. One of a number of lines or parts diverging from a common point or center, like the radii of a circle; as, a star of six rays. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ray — ray1 [rā] n. [OFr rai < L radius: see RADIUS] 1. a) any of the thin lines, or beams, of light that appear to come from a bright source b) a graphic representation of one of these, as in heraldry 2. a) any of several lines radiating …   English World dictionary

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