rid

RID/ɹɪd/

22 meanings of rid

1
verbreflexivetransitive
To make a person or place free from something annoying or unwanted.
Like shaking sand out of your shoes so it stops bothering you.
We need to rid the kitchen of ants before summer.
She finally rid herself of her habit of staying up too late.
Similardeliver
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2
verbreflexivetransitive
To take something annoying or unwanted away from a place or person.
Open the windows to rid the smoke from the room.
She rid the worry from her mind by talking with a friend.
Similarremove, expel, eject, clear
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3
verbreflexivetransitive
To set someone or something free, or to save them from harm.
The rescuers worked to rid the trapped hikers from the narrow canyon.
The king's order rid the prisoners from the dark jail.
Similarfree, release, rescue, clear
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4
verbdialectalUStransitive
To make a room or table neat and clean.
Please rid up the table before company comes.
The four breakfasted by the thin light, and the ‘house-ridding’ was taken in hand.
1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’UrbervillesHere, ridding means tidying up or putting in order.
Similarclear, tidy
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5
verbarchaictransitive
To clear a place, especially to clear land of trees and bushes.
The settlers worked all summer to rid the land for planting.
Long ago, farmers rid whole valleys before they could grow crops there.
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6
verbarchaicintransitive
To work at clearing land or some other open place.
The whole village came out to rid before the rains arrived.
In those days, families rid through the fall so the fields would be ready by spring.
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7
verbarchaictransitive
To clean a place by taking away trash and things in the way.
Come, lads, drink up your ale, and we'll just rid this corner, so as to have all clear for beginning at the wall as soon as 'tis light to-morrow.
1872, Thomas Hardy, “‘To that Last Nothing under Earth’”Here, rid means to clear out.
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8
verbarchaictransitive
To kill a person, or to destroy someone completely.
This Gloſter ſhould be quickly rid the VVorld, / To rid vs from the feare vve haue of him.
1591, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt,”Here, rid means to kill or destroy someone.
The furious Tybalt caſt an enuious thruſt [of the rapier], / That rid the life of ſtout Mercutio.
c. 1591, [William Shakespeare], Romeo and Juliet. (First Quarto)Here, rid means ended or took away, killing him.
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9
verbarchaictransitive
To pull something up by the roots and destroy it completely.
Like pulling a weed out with its roots so it can never grow back.
The farmer rid up every thistle in the field.
We must rid up these weeds before they spread.
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10
verbarchaicShropshiretransitive
To finish a job or get through a piece of work.
The workers rid their tasks before the sun went down.
[T]he Printer, in one day ſhall rid / More Books, then yerſt a thouſand VVrighters did.
1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His Second Weeke,. Noah..] The Columnes. The IIII. Part of the II. Day of the II.…Here, rid means to get through or finish work.
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11
verbarchaicWest Midlandsintransitive
To empty the stomach, or to clear the throat.
The sick man rid twice in the night and then slept.
After the bitter medicine, he needed to rid before he could speak again.
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12
verbobsoletereflexivetransitive
To take something away from a person. Used with the word of.
The thieves rid the old man of his money.
A long winter can rid a family of all its food.
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13
verbobsoletetransitive
To end an argument or disagreement between people.
The teacher tried to rid the argument before it turned into a fight.
They [constables] ought to Rid Frays, and ſeek the Neighbours to aſſiſt for ſeparating the parties; and ſuch as hurt them may be puniſhed by the Juſtices.
1707, William Forbes, “An Abstract of the Duty and Powers of Justices of Peace, our of Our Own Acts of Parliament, and the Late Commission…Here, Rid means to stop or settle.
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14
verbobsoletetransitive
To send away someone who has been serving or helping a person.
The queen rid her servants so she could read the letter alone.
After bringing the tea, the maid would rid herself from the room.
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15
verbobsoletetransitive
To get away from a place or escape from it.
The boys planned to rid the dark forest before night came.
But if I my Cage can rid, / I'le flye vvhere I neuer did.
1615, George Wither, “The Fourth Eglogue”Here, rid means to get out of or escape.
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16
verbobsoleteNorthern Englandintransitive
To get finished or done. Used about work.
The cleaning will rid faster if everyone helps.
The sewing rid quickly because the girls worked together.
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17
adjectiveobsolete
Cleared and tidy. Mostly used about a place.
The barn was rid and ready for the new hay.
We will make room for you! We will make a rid road from here to Winchester!
1866, C[harles] Kingsley, “How They Held a Great Meeting in the Hall of Ely”Here, rid means cleared and open.
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18
adjectiveobsoleteNorthern England
Full of something bad, or troubled by it. Used at the end of joined words, like fever-rid.
So Cupids faire mother be thy midvvife: out and alas I am mare rid, vvhat Somners Ghoſt or limme of Lucifer, puts poore Bordello in minde of pennance before he hath treſpaſſed?
1610, Iohn [i.e., John] Mason, The Turke. A Worthie Tragedie.Here, rid means troubled or plagued by something.
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19
verbobsoleteNorthern England
Past tense and past participle of ride. An old form. Today people say rode or ridden.
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20
adjectiveobsoleteNorthern England
Describes a horse trained to carry a person in a saddle, used only in the word 'well-rid'.
Everyone could see the pony was well-rid and calm.
[F]ull ten thouſand horſe / Freſh and vvell rid ſtrong Maſſiniſſa leades / As vvinges to Roman legions that march ſvvift / Led by that man of conqueſt, Scipio.
1605, Iohn [i.e., John] Marston, The Wonder of Women: Or The Tragedie of SophonisbaHere, well rid means well trained for riding.
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21
nounobsoleteNorthern Englanduncountable
Progress in a piece of work, or the speed of it.
The builders made good rid and finished the wall early.
The cart came down the hill at great rid.
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22
nounobsoleteNorthern Englanduncountable
Loose dirt and broken rock that workers must clear away before they can dig out stone.
Like the wrapping you take off before you reach the gift inside.
The men spent the first week hauling the rid off the rock.
There was so much rid that digging could not start until spring.
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Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–17, 21–22

The verb comes from Middle English "ridden," meaning to clear a place or to free someone, probably from an Old English word for clearing land.

Meanings 18–20

This adjective comes from "rid," an old past participle form of "ride."