*ruth*

n.; pl. half-truths a partially true statement, especially one intended to deceive or mislead. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ From Rue, v.: cf. Icel. hryggð, hrygð. ] 1. Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [ Poetic ] “They weep for ruth.” Chaucer. “Have ruth of the poor.” Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

To stir up gentle ruth,
Both for her noble blood, and for her tender youth. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which causes pity or compassion; misery; distress; a pitiful sight. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It had been hard this ruth for to see. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

With wretched miseries and woeful ruth. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, ruthenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which it has a higher valence as contrasted with ruthenious compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, ruthenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which it has a lower valence as contrasted with ruthenic compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. So named from the Ruthenians, a Little Russian people, as coming from Russia, the metal having been found in the Ural mountains. ] (Chem.) A rare element of the light platinum group, found associated with platinum ores, and isolated as a hard, brittle steel-gray metal which is very infusible. Symbol Ru. Atomic weight 103.5. Specific gravity 12.26. See Platinum metals, under Platinum. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of ruth; as: (a) Pitiful; tender. (b) Full of sorrow; woeful. (c) Causing sorrow. Shak. -- Ruth"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Having no ruth; cruel; pitiless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their rage the hostile bands restrain,
All but the ruthless monarch of the main. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Ruth"less*ly, adv. -- Ruth"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Struthious. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Struthiones [ L., an ostrich, fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] (Zool.) A genus of birds including the African ostriches. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Struthio, and -oid. ] (Zool.) Same as Struthiones. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Struthio. ] (Zool.) (a) A division, or order, of birds, including only the African ostriches. (b) In a wider sense, an extensive group of birds including the ostriches, cassowaries, emus, moas, and allied birds incapable of flight. In this sense it is equivalent to Ratitae, or Dromaeognathae. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Struthious. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. struthius, strutheus. ] (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Struthiones, or Ostrich tribe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Truths [ OE. treuthe, trouthe, treowpe, AS. treów&unr_;. See True; cf. Troth, Betroth. ] 1. The quality or being true; as: -- (a) Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been; or shall be. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) Conformity to rule; exactness; close correspondence with an example, mood, object of imitation, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Plows, to go true, depend much on the truth of the ironwork. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) Fidelity; constancy; steadfastness; faithfulness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alas! they had been friends in youth,
But whispering tongues can poison truth. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

(d) The practice of speaking what is true; freedom from falsehood; veracity. [ 1913 Webster ]

If this will not suffice, it must appear
That malice bears down truth. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is true or certain concerning any matter or subject, or generally on all subjects; real state of things; fact; verity; reality. [ 1913 Webster ]

Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor. Zech. viii. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

I long to know the truth here of at large. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The truth depends on, or is only arrived at by, a legitimate deduction from all the facts which are truly material. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A true thing; a verified fact; a true statement or proposition; an established principle, fixed law, or the like; as, the great truths of morals. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even so our boasting . . . is found a truth. 2 Cor. vii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Righteousness; true religion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John i. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. John xvii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

In truth, in reality; in fact. --
Of a truth, in reality; certainly. --
To do truth, to practice what God commands. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that doeth truth cometh to the light. John iii. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To assert as true; to declare. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Had they [ the ancients ] dreamt this, they would have truthed it heaven. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of truth; veracious; reliable. -- Truth"ful*ly, adv. -- Truth"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Devoid of truth; dishonest; dishonest; spurious; faithless. -- Truth"less*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. One who loves the truth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Truth-lover was our English Duke. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Truth. [ Obs. & R. ] Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who tells the truth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Truth-teller was our England's Alfred named. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Truthful; likely; probable. [ R. ] “A more truthy import.” W. G. Palgrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being untrue; contrariety to truth; want of veracity; also, treachery; faithlessness; disloyalty. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is untrue; a false assertion; a falsehood; a lie; also, an act of treachery or disloyalty. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Lie; falsehood. See Lie. [ 1913 Webster ]