Meaning and Origin
What does the name Ray mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Ray
User Submitted Origins
English
65%
French
13%
Indian (Sanskrit)
9%
Indonesian
4%
American
4%
Canadian
4%
User Submitted Meanings
- A user from Georgia, U.S. says the name Ray means "Fire/Light/Beem of light".
- According to a user from the United Kingdom, the name Ray means "'fire or light' and is normally a gender neutral name".
- According to 2 people from Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, the name Ray means "Light".
- A submission from Oklahoma, U.S. says the name Ray means "Beam of light" and is of English origin.
- According to a user from Ohio, U.S., the name Ray is of French origin and means "Wise & mighty protector".
- According to a user from Texas, U.S., the name Ray is of Indian (Sanskrit) origin and means "King".
- A user from Nevada, U.S. says the name Ray is of French origin and means "Regal".
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
verb Ray
Senses
- To array.(Obs)
- To mark, stain, or soil; to streak; to defile.(Obs)"The filth that did it ray." [Spenser.]
Etymology: An aphetic form of array; cf. Beray
noun Ray
Array; order; arrangement; dress.
noun Ray
Senses
- 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 .
- [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.
- [Zoöl]
- One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes.
- One of the spheromeres of a radiate, especially one of the arms of a starfish or an ophiuran.
- One of the radiating spines, or cartilages, supporting the fins of fishes.
- [Physics]
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sight; perception; vision; -- from an old theory of vision, that sight was something which proceeded from the eye to the object seen."All eyes direct their rays On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze." [Pope.]
- [Geom] One of a system of diverging lines passing through a point, and regarded as extending indefinitely in both directions. See Half-ray.
Etymology: OF. rai, F. rais, fr. L. radius a beam or ray, staff, rod, spoke of a wheel. Cf. Radius
verb Ray
Senses
- To mark with long lines; to streak.(Obs)
- To send forth or shoot out; to cause to shine out; as, to ray smiles.(R)
Etymology: From Ray (n.)
Etymology: Cf. OF. raier raiier rayer, L. radiare to irradiate. See Ray (n.), and cf. Radiate
verb Ray
To shine, as with rays.
noun Ray
Any one of numerous elasmobranch fishes of the order Raiæ, including the skates, torpedoes, sawfishes, etc.In a restricted sense, any of the broad, flat, narrow-tailed species, as the skates and sting rays. See Skate.
Etymology: F. raie, L. raia. Cf. Roach
Other Dictionary Sources
- Cartilaginous fishes having horizontally flattened bodies and enlarged winglike pectoral fins with gills on the underside; most swim by moving the pectoral fins
- Any of the stiff bony spines in the fin of a fish
- The syllable naming the second (supertonic) note of any major scale in solmization
- A column of light (as from a beacon)
- A group of nearly parallel lines of electromagnetic radiation
- A branch of an umbel or an umbelliform inflorescence
- (mathematics) a straight line extending from a point
- Expose to radiation
- Extend or spread outward from a center or focus or inward towards a center
- Emit as rays ("That tower rays a laser beam for miles across the sky")
Wiktionary
From Persian ری (Rey), from Middle Persian, from Old Persian 𐎼𐎥𐎠 (Ragā), a Median district. Compare Akkadian 𒊏𒂵𒀪 (ra-ga-'), Elamite 𒊩𒋡𒀭 (rák-ka4-an) (loc.), Ancient Greek Ῥάγαι (Rhágai), Latin Rhagae, Rhaganae, Iranian borrowings.
- A city near Tehran, Iran.
Ray was also found in the following language(s): Cebuano