razeen.
/rəˈziː/, U.S. /rəˈzi/ Now rare.
1. Nautical. A vessel (esp. a warship) reduced in height by the removal of the upper deck or decks. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > [noun] > having upper decks removed
razee1794
1794 R. F. Greville Diary 14 Sept. (1930) 335 Two large Ships razes which are line of Battle Ships cut down & mounted with very heavy guns 24 Pdrs.
1803 Sir R. Wilson in Life (1862) I. iv. 216 The Captain of a twenty-four-razee.
1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) (at cited word) The Indefatigable, Majestic..and Saturn have been cut down for razees.
1844 P. Harwood Hist. Irish Rebellion 232 Two frigates and a sixty-gun razee bearing down upon him.
1846 Congress. Globe 27 June 253 One razee, two frigates, etc... In twelve months two small frigates could be razeed to large corvette sloops.
1979 P. O'Brian Fortune of War iii. 103 ‘Some say she's a Portuguese razee—’ ‘What is a razee?’ ‘Why, a cut-down ship of the line.’
2. In extended use.In quot. 1991, apparently: a makeshift building.
ΚΠ
1829 F. Marryat Naval Officer I. iv. 110 This was the sole cause of my chest being converted into a razée.
1861 O. W. Holmes Elsie Venner xviii. 195 The hulks and the razees of enslaved or half-enslaved intelligences.
1991 R. Davies Murther & Walking Spirits iv. i. 165 I wouldn't claim such a jerry-built old razee as that for my own. I've built better hen-houses.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
razeev.
/rəˈziː/, U.S. /rəˈzi/ Now rare.† 1. transitive. To cut down; to reduce. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > reduce in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (transitive)] > curtail
wanea889
dockc1380
bridgec1384
abridgea1393
limita1398
syncopec1412
defalk1475
shortena1535
to cut short?1542
royn1573
retrench1587
curtail1589
retranch1589
lop1594
scantle1596
scant1599
scantelize1611
curtalize1622
defalce1651
detrench1655
barb1657
defalcatea1690
razee1815
detruncate1846
to cut down1857
shave1898
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > vertical extent > lack of height > make low(er) [verb (transitive)] > by cutting (down)
to cut down1382
sink1526
razee1815
1815 ‘T. Tarpaulin’ Paddy Hew 107 In a trice I'll razee you—you long, long splice.
1820 Deb. Congr. U.S. 28 Jan. (1855) 1008 It would not follow that they should have power to razee a State..by depriving the admitted State of equal rights.
1837 F. Marryat Snarleyyow (ed. 2) I. v. 43 He was like a man razeed or cut down.
1882 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. II. 77 They were razeed to the smallest possible dimensions as to numbers and endowment.
2. transitive. Nautical. To reduce (a ship) in height by the removal of the upper deck or decks. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > shipbuilding and repairing > build a ship [verb (transitive)] > modify
settlea1625
to cut down1769
razee1818
convert1862
jumboize1956
1818 H. Brackenridge Hist. Late War (ed. 4) ix. 160 Great Britain razeed or cut down her seventy-fours, that she might have vessels to engage with ours.
1842 W. T. Brande Dict. Sci., Lit. & Art 1025/1 By razeeing, the draught of water is diminished, while the centre of gravity is lowered, and the qualities of the vessel have generally..been improved.
1862 Times 27 Mar. 9/5 The Merrimac..has been razeed and iron-plated.
1894 C. N. Robinson Brit. Fleet 240 In 1793..old sixty-fours were cut down a deck, or ‘razeed’ (a term that now came into use) into forty-fours.
1928 New Eng. Q. 1 216 During the war of 1812 she [sc. the America] was razeed and rerigged as a privateer, and made a most successful one.
1948 Mariner's Mirror 34 305 Waterloo, 120-gun sailing 1st-rate, was razéed to 90-guns and given engines.
Derivatives
raˈzeed adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > curtailed
abridgeda1382
docked1408
defalcate1531
decurted?1550
curtailed1561
limited1590
minced1609
clipped1788
razeed1821
shorn1853
restricted1856
curtate1875
fine-cut1894
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > [adjective] > having upper decks or superstructure removed
cut1809
razeed1821
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > vertical extent > lack of height > [adjective] > made low(er) > by cutting down
obtruncated1762
razeed1821
1821 Lit. & Sci. Repository Jan. 30 Their mistaking, within half musket shot, a medium sloop of 18 guns—for a razeed frigate.
1854 B. P. Shillaber Life & Sayings Mrs. Partington 370 Many a pair of razeed trowsers has the world seen added to its wealth.
a1895 Ld. C. E. Paget Autobiogr. (1896) iii. 71 The command of the Aigle, razeed frigate.
1956 R. A. Preston et al. Men in Arms xiv. 224 A first effort was made by the Virginia, an iron-casemated ram improvised on the razeed hull of the former United States frigate Merrimack.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1794v.1815