rather

adv. இன்னுஞ் சரியாகச் சொல்லுமிடத்தில், பெரிதளவில், இன்னும் மிக நுட்பமாகக் கூறுவழ்னல், வேறெதுவுமன்று என்றுதான், சிறிதுன்றுபட்ட நிலையில், ஓரளவுக்கு, ஒரு சிறிதே, சற்றே சற்றுமேம்பட விருமபத்தக்கதாக, மேம்பட விரும்பித்தேரத்தக்கதாக, விரும்பத்தக்க மேம்பாடுடையாக, (பே-வ) உறுதியாகவே, ஐயமின்றி.

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Rath"er, a. Etym: [Compar. of Rath, a.] Defn: Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.] Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. Sir J. Mandeville. Rath"er, adv. Etym: [AS. hrathor, compar. of hrathe, hræ\'ebe, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a.] 1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.] Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. Chaucer. A good mean to come the rather to grace. Foxe. 2. More readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. Job vii. 15. 3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. Mark v. 26. 4. Of two alternatives conceived of, by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat. He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain, And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain. Dryden. 5. More properly; more correctly speaking. This is an art Which does mend nature, change it rather, but The art itself is nature. Shak. 6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the house is rather damp. The rather, the more so; especially; for better reason; for particular cause. You are come to me in happy time, The rather for I have some sport in hand. Shak. -- Had rather, or Would rather, prefer to; prefers to; as, he had, or would, rather go than stay. "I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousands words in an unknown tongue." 1 Cor. xiv. 19. See Had rather, under Had.

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