Online Etymology Dictionary

railroad (n.): 1757, from rail (n.1) + road. Originally "road laid with rails for heavy wagons (in mining)." The system itself seems to have been in use by late 17c. Application to passenger and freight trains dates from 1825, though tending to be replaced in this sense in England by railway (1812).
railroad (v.): "to convict quickly and perhaps unjustly," 1873, American English, from railroad (n.).
A person knowing more than might be desirable of the affairs, or perhaps the previous life of some powerful individual, high in authority, might some day ventilate his knowledge, possibly before a court of justice; but if his wisdom is railroaded to State's prison, his evidence becomes harmless. ["Wanderings of a Vagabond," New York, 1873]
Related: Railroaded; railroading.
railway (n.): 1838 in modern sense, from rail (n.1) + way. Earlier used of any sort of road on which rails (originally wooden) were laid for easier transport, from 1776.
raiment (n.): mid-15c., shortening of arayment "clothing," from Anglo-French araiement, from Old French areement, from areer "to array" (see array (v.)).
rain (n.): Old English regn, from Proto-Germanic *regna- (cf. Old Saxon regan, Old Norse regn, Old Frisian rein, Middle Dutch reghen, German regen, Gothic rign "rain"), with no certain cognates outside Germanic, unless it is from a presumed PIE *reg- "moist, wet," which may be the source of Latin rigare "to wet, moisten" (cf. irrigate).
rain (v.): Old English regnian, usually contracted to rinan; see rain (n.). Related: Rained; raining. Transferred and figurative use of other things that fall as rain (blessings, tears, etc.) is recorded from c.1200.

To rain on (someone's) parade is attested from 1941. Phrase to rain cats and dogs is attested from 1738 (variation rain dogs and polecats is from 1650s), of unknown origin, despite intense speculation. One of the less likely suggestions is pets sliding off sod roofs when the sod got too wet during a rainstorm. (Ever see a cat react to a rainstorm by climbing up on an exposed roof?) Probably rather an extension of cats and dogs as proverbial for "strife, enmity" (1570s).
rain forest (n.): 1899, apparently a loan-translation of German Regenwald, coined by A.F.W. Schimper for his 1898 work "Pflanzengeographie."
rain-out (n.): also rain out, rainout, 1947, from rain + out.
rainbow (n.): Old English renboga; see rain + bow (n.). Common Germanic compound; cf. Old Norse regnbogi, Dutch regenboog.
raincheck (n.): also rain check, 1884; see rain (n.) + check (n.). Originally of tickets to rained-out baseball games.
raincoat (n.): 1821, from rain (n.) + coat (n.).
raindrop (n.): Old English rendropa; see rain + drop (n.).
rainfall (n.): 1850, from rain (n.) + fall (n.).
rainmaker (n.): 1775, in reference to American Indian tribal magicians, from rain + agent noun of make.
rainy (adj.): Old English renig; see rain + -y (2).
raise (n.): c.1500, "a levy," from raise (v.). Meaning "increase in amount or value" is from 1728, specific sense in poker is from 1821. Meaning "increase in salary or wages" is from 1898, chiefly American English (British preferring rise).
raise (v.): c.1200, from Old Norse reisa "to raise," from Proto-Germanic *raizjan (cf. Gothic ur-raisjan, Old English ræran "to rear," see rear (v.)), causative of root *ris- "to rise" (see rise). At first sharing many senses with native rear (v.). Used in most of the varied modern senses since Middle English; some later evolutions include "to bring up" (a child), 1744; "to elevate" (the consciousness), 1970. Related: Raised; raising.
raisin (n.): c.1300, from Anglo-French raycin (late 13c.), Old French raisin "grape, raisin," from Vulgar Latin *racimus, alteration of Latin racemus "cluster of grapes or berries," probably from the same ancient lost Mediterranean language as Greek rhax (genitive rhagos) "grape, berry."
raison d'etre (n.): 1864, first recorded in letter of J.S. Mill, from French raison d'être, literally "rational grounds for existence."
Raj (n.): British rule in India, 1859, from Hindi raj "rule, kingdom" (see rajah).
rajah: 1550s, from Hindi, from Sanskrit rajan "king," cognate with Latin rex, Old Irish rig "king." Related to raj "kingdom, kingship." Rajput "member of the ruling caste in northern India" (1590s) is from Sanskrit rajaputrah "prince," literally "king's son," from putrah "son, boy" (cf. puerile).
rake (n.1): "toothed tool," Old English raca "rake," earlier ræce, from Proto-Germanic *rak- "gather, heap up" (cf. Old Norse reka "spade, shovel," Old High German rehho, German Rechen "rake," Gothic rikan "to heap up, collect").
rake (v.): mid-13c., "clear (rubbish, grass, etc.) by raking; gather (grain) by raking," from rake (n.1). Of gunfire from 1630s. Related: Raked; raking.
rake (n.2): "debauchee," 1650s, shortening of rakehell.
rakehell (n.): 1540s, possibly an alteration (by association with rake (n.1) and Hell) of Middle English rakel (adj.) "hasty, rash, headstrong," probably from raken "to go, proceed," from Old English racian, of unknown origin.
rakish (adj.): 1706, from rake (n.2) + -ish. Related: Rakishly; rakishness.
Raleigh: city in North Carolina, U.S., founded 1792 and named for Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).
rally (n.): 1650s, originally in the military sense of "a regroup for renewed action after a repulse," from rally (v.1). Sense of "mass meeting to arouse group support" first attested 1840, American English. Sense of "gathering of automobile enthusiasts" is from 1932, from French. Sports sense of "long series of hits" in tennis, etc., is from 1887.
rally (v.1): "bring together," c.1600, from French rallier, from Old French ralier "reassemble, unite again," from re- "again" (see re-) + alier "unite" (see ally). Related: Rallied; rallying. Rally round the flag (1862) is a line from popular American Civil War song "Battle Cry of Freedom."
rally (v.2): "make fun of, tease," 1660s, from French railler "to rail, reproach" (see rail (v.)).
Ralph: masc. proper name, shortened from Radulf, from Old Norse Raðulfr (Old English Rædwulf), literally "wolf-counsel," from rað "counsel" (see read (n.)) + ulfr "wolf" (see wolf (n.)).
ram (v.): "to beat with a heavy implement," early 14c., from ram (n.). Related: Rammed; ramming.
ram (n.): Old English ramm "male sheep," also "battering ram," earlier rom "male sheep," a West Germanic word (cf. Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German ram), of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with Old Norse rammr "strong," Old Church Slavonic ramenu "impetuous, violent."
RAM: abbreviation for "random access memory" (computerese) first recorded 1957 (see random).
Rama: incarnation of Vishnu, from Sanskrit Ramah, literally "lovely," from stem of ramate "stands still, rests, is pleased."
ramada (n.): 1869, from American Spanish ramada "tent, shelter," from Spanish ramada "an arbor," from rama "branch," from Vulgar Latin *rama, collective of Latin ramus "branch" (see ramus).
Ramadan (n.): "ninth month of the Muslim year," 1590s, from Arabic Ramadan (Turkish and Persian ramazan), originally "the hot month," from ramida "be burnt, scorched" (cf. Hebrew remetz "hot ashes, embers"). Due to the Islamic lunar calendar, it passes through all seasons in a cycle of about 33 years, but evidently originally it was a summer month.
ramble (v.): mid-15c., perhaps frequentative of romen "to walk, go" (see roam), perhaps via romblen (late 14c.) "to ramble." The vowel change perhaps by influence of Middle Dutch rammelen, a derivative of rammen "copulate," "used of the night wanderings of the amorous cat" [Weekley]. Meaning "to talk or write incoherently" is from 1630s. Related: Rambled; rambling.
rambler (n.): 1620s, agent noun from ramble (v.).
Rambo: used allusively from 1985, in reference to John Rambo, hero of David Morrell's novel "First Blood" (1972), popularized as portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in Hollywood movie version (1982), a U.S. Vietnam veteran, macho and self-sufficient, intent on vengeance. The family name is an old one in N.J. and Pennsylvania colonies of the U.S., originally Swedish, sometimes said to represent Swedish place name Ramberget, or to be from French Huguenots who took refuge in Sweden.
rambunctious (adj.): 1830, probably altered (by influence of ram) from rumbustious.
ramekin: 1706, from French ramequin (late 17c.), of uncertain origin.
ramification (n.): 1670s, "a branching out," from French ramification, from ramifier (see ramify). Transferred sense of "outgrowth, consequence" first recorded 1755. Related: Ramifications.
ramify (v.): 1540s, "branch out," from Middle French ramifier (early 14c.), from Medieval Latin ramificare, from Latin ramus "branch" (see ramus) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Related: Ramified; ramifying.
ramjet: 1942, from ram (v.) + jet (v.).
rammy (adj.): c.1600, from ram (n.) + -y (2). Related: Ramminess.
ramp (n.): 1778, "slope," from French rampe, back-formation from Old French verb ramper "to climb, creep" (12c.), perhaps from Frankish *rampon "to contract oneself" (cf. Old High German rimpfan "to wrinkle," Old English hrimpan "to fold, wrinkle").
rampage (v.): 1715, in Scottish, probably from Middle English verb ramp "rave, rush wildly about" (c.1300), especially of beasts rearing on their hind legs, as if climbing, from Old French ramper (see ramp, also cf. rampant). Related: Rampaged; rampaging.
rampage (n.): 1861, from rampage (v.).
rampant (adj.): late 14c., "standing on the hind legs" (as a heraldic lion often does), thus, also, "fierce, ravenous" (late 14c.), from Old French rampant, present participle of ramper "to creep, climb" (see rampage (v.)). Sense of "growing without check" (in running rampant), first recorded 1610s, preserves the Old French sense.