rase

UK: /reɪz/ US: (rāz)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

rase  (rāz), v.t., rased, ras•ing. 

1. raze.

ras′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

rase / reɪz/ verb

1. a variant spelling of raze

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

-rase-, root. 

1. -rase- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "rub;
   scrape.'' This meaning is found in such words as: abrasion, erase, raze, razor.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

raze or rase /reɪz/   v. [~ + object] , razed or rased, raz•ing or ras•ing. 

1. to level to the ground;
   tear down:
   razed the buildings.

See -rase-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

raze  (rāz), v.t., razed, raz•ing. 

1. to tear down;
   demolish;
   level to the ground:
   to raze a row of old buildings.
2. to shave or scrape off.

Also, rase. 

• *Vulgar Latin rāsāre to scrape, frequentative of Latin rādere to scrape
• Middle French raser
• Middle English rasen 1540–50

raz′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. See destroy. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

raze, rase / reɪz/ verb (transitive)

1. to demolish (a town, buildings, etc) completely; level (esp in the phrase raze to the ground)
2. to delete; erase
3. to graze

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French raser from Latin rādere to scrape

ˈrazer, ˈraser noun