ree

Etymology 1

noun

1. Alternative form of rei (“Portuguese real”)

Etymology 2

From Middle English rei, reh, reoh, from Old English hrēoh (“rough, fierce, wild, angry, disturbed, troubled, stormy, tempestuous”), from Proto-Germanic *hreuhaz (“bad, wild”), from Proto-Indo-European *krewh₂- (“raw meat, fresh blood”). Cognate with Scots ree, rae, ray (“ree”), Old Saxon hrē (“evil, bad, angry”), Gothic 𐌹𐌽𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (inrauhtjan, “to become angry, rage against”). Related to Old English hrēaw (“raw, uncooked”). More at raw.

adj

1. (now chiefly dialectal) Wild; fierce; outrageous; overexcited; frenzied; delirious; crazy.
   "I saw,", says I, "he was a ree-brained divell, but thought nothing of it, as all the British are so when they come abroad." 1756, Margaret Calderwood, “Mrs Calderwood's Journey”, in The Coltness Collections: MDCVIII-MDCCCXL, The Maitland Club, published 1842, page 222
2. (now chiefly dialectal) Befuddled with liquor; half-drunk; tipsy.
   One of the witnesses speaks of having seen this sober judge "upon the bench, when he appeared to be ree, and as if he had been drunk the night before." 1839, Joseph Robertson, The Book of Bon-Accord: or, A Guide to the City of Aberdeen, footnote, page 94

noun

1. (now chiefly dialectal) A state of befuddlement; intoxication.
2. (now chiefly dialectal) A state of great excitement or frenzy.

verb

1. (intransitive, now chiefly dialectal) To become extremely excited; fly into a rage.
2. (transitive, now chiefly dialectal) To drive into a state of excitement; fire with enthusiasm.

Etymology 3

Compare riddle (“a sieve”).

verb

1. (obsolete, UK, dialect) To riddle; to sift; to separate or throw off.

Etymology 4

Probably from a rebracketing of ea with Old English þære, i.e. þære ēa becoming the ree.

noun

1. (obsolete or Essex dialect) A small river or stream.
   The church of this pariſh, vulgarly called St. Mary Overy, from its dedication to the virgin Mary, and ſituation over the Ree or river, in reſpect of London, is a ſtately Gothic ſtructure, in the form of a cathedral. 1768-9, Tobias George Smollett, The Present State of all Nations