rice

name

Etymology: * As a Welsh surname, borrowed from Welsh Rhys, an Anglicization. Compare Reese, Freese, Price, and Preece. * As an English surname, from Old English hris (“brushwood, shrubbery”). * Also as an English surname, from a nickname through Middle English and Anglo-Norman from French ris (“smile, laughter”). * Also as an occupational English surname, from the noun rice. * As as German surname, Americanized from Reis (“shoot, twig”), related to the Old English word above. Compare Ries.

1. A surname from Welsh [in turn originating as a patronymic].

   “This past weekend, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach set off a firestorm with his full-page ad in the New York Times accusing National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice of turning a blind eye to the Rwandan genocide when she was on President Bill Clinton’s national security team in the 1990s.”

   “For a micromoon and Friday the 13th full moon to occur together is extraordinarily rare. The last time it happened was in 1832 and it won't happen again for more than 500 years according to Tony Rice, a meteorologist and engineer at NASA.”

2. A number of places in the United States:
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6. A number of places in the United States:
7. A number of places in the United States:
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9. A number of places in the United States:
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noun

1. Acronym of rest, ice, compression, elevation (“a treatment method for soft-tissue injuries”).

   “The care manager greeted Beth and Jim as they prepared to leave, […] and offered to give them brochures about RICE and physical therapy […] After the RICE therapy, Dr. Meredith recommended rehab for strengthening the ankle so that Beth could return to her physical fitness […]”

   “The RICE method is a simple self-care technique that aims to reduce swelling, ease pain, and speed up healing.”

2. Acronym of rest, immobilization, cold, elevation (“a treatment method for soft-tissue injuries”).
3. Acronym of reaction, initial, change, equilibrium (“a tabular system for keeping track of changing concentrations in an equilibrium reaction”).
4. Acronym of reciprocating internal combustion engine.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English rys, from Old French ris, from Old Italian riso, risi, from Byzantine Greek ὄρυζα (óruza), from an Eastern Iranian language related to Middle Persian blnc (*brinǰ), Northern Kurdish riz (beyond Euphrates) and Zazaki riz. Theorized to come to Iranian languages from Sanskrit व्रीहि (vrīhi). Prior to Sanskrit, it is speculated to be possibly a borrowing from a Dravidian language (compare Proto-Dravidian *wariñci (“rice”)), or from Austroasiatic languages further east. Alternatively Byzantine Greek ὄρυζα (óruza) is said to be from Hebrew אורז (órez), from South Arabian areez ultimately from Old Tamil 𑀅𑀭𑀺𑀘𑀺 (arici). Doublet of arroz.

1. To squeeze through a ricer; to mash or make into rice-sized pieces (especially potatoes).

   “Riced Potato. Have a flat dish and the colander hot. With a spoon, rub mashed potato through the colander on to the hot dish.”

   “Following ricing, the potato mash proceeds to the drum drier where flaking is done.”

2. To harvest wild rice (Zizania spp.)

   “In northern Minnesota the whites have invented the verb "to rice," and speak of "ricing," i. e., harvesting the crop of wild rice.”

   “When ricing, the Ojibway dress warmly at first; by midday they may shed some clothes as harvest toil combines with the hot sun of late summer to warm them.”

3. To throw rice at a person (usually at a wedding).

   “So far as I can make out, the idiotic function of “ricing” English brides and bridegrooms is not twenty years old.”

   “The couple was well riced and sent on their way.”

4. To customize the user interface of a computer system, e.g. a desktop environment. (derived from rice out)