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Rape

One of six divisions of the county of Sussex, England, intermediate between a hundred and a shire.

Origin: Icel. Hreppr village, district; cf. Icel. Hreppa to catch, obtain, AS. Hrepian, hreppan, to touch.

1. Fruit, as grapes, plucked from the cluster.

2. The refuse stems and skins of grapes or raisins from which the must has been expressed in wine making.

3. A filter containing the above refuse, used in clarifying and perfecting malt, vinegar, etc. Rape wine, a poor, thin wine made from the last dregs of pressed grapes.

Origin: f. Rape a grape stalk.

1. The act of seizing and carrying away by force; violent seizure; robbery. And ruined orphans of thy rapes complain. (Sandys)

2. Sexual connection with a woman without her consent. See age of consent, under Consent.

3. That which is snatched away. Where now are all my hopes? O, never more. Shall they revive! nor death her rapes restore. (Sandys)

4. Movement, as in snatching; haste; hurry.

Origin: akin to rap to snatch, but confused with L. Rapere. See Rap to snatch.

(Science: botany) A name given to a variety or to varieties of a plant of the turnip kind, grown for seeds and herbage. The seeds are used for the production of rape oil, and to a limited extent for the food of cage birds.

These plants, with the edible turnip, have been variously named, but are all now believed to be derived from the brassica campestris of Europe, which by some is not considered distinct from the wild stock (B. Oleracea) of the cabbage. See Cole. Broom rape.

(Science: Botany) see Colza.

Origin: L. Rapa, rapum, akin to gr, g. Rube.