rid

verb

1. (also, reflexive, transitive)Followed by of: to free (oneself or someone, or a place) from an annoyance or hindrance.

   “I’m glad to be rid of that stupid nickname.”

   “We’re trying to rid the world of poverty.”

   “Than thou madeſt heuẽ [heaven] free and rydde from all rebellion⸝ […]”

   “If I coulde conuenyently rydde me of this felowe I wolde go with you wͭ [with] all my herte: […]”

   “[John the Baptist's disciples] myſtooke John too haue been the Meſſias. John to the intent too rid his diſciples of this errour, ſendeth them to Chryſt, too enquire of hym whether hée were the very Meſſias, or whether ſome other were ſtyll too bée looked for: […]”

2. (also, reflexive, transitive)Followed by away, from, or out of: to remove (oneself or someone, or something, that is annoying, troublesome, or unwanted).

   “For the nature of the world is ſuch, that if any man rebuke the wickedneſſe thereof any thing ſharply, it ſéekes to rid them out of the way, too the intent it may ſinne the more licentiouſly.”

   “The waye to rydde this vyle diſeaſe and miſchiefe, is to beſtowe vpon the infected place, a medicine made of Gumme Dragaganthe, foure ownces, infuſed in the ſtrongeſt Uyneger that may bee gotten, by the ſpace of eyght dayes: […]”

   “[G]old he vvill giue her, / Theſe vvill I make induction to her ruine, / And rid ſhame from my houſe, griefe from my heart […]”

   “[I]ndeed I began ſincerely to hate my ſelf for a Dog, a VVretch that had been a Thief, and a Murtherer; […] I vvent about vvith my Heart full of theſe Thoughts, little better than a diſtracted Fellovv; in ſhort, running headlong into the dreadfulleſt Deſpair, and premeditated nothing but hovv to rid my ſelf out of the VVorld; […] nothing lay upon my Mind for ſeveral Days, but to ſhoot my ſelf into the Head vvith my Piſtol.”

   “Worst of all though were the leeches. The soldiers had managed to rid them from the camp interiors, but once you ventured out on patrol and into the wetlands, they were everywhere.”

3. (reflexive, transitive)Often followed by from, of, or out of: to free or release, or to rescue or save, (oneself or someone, or something).

   “[Y]f there happen a plage of leproſy in any houſe of youre poſſeſſion, then ſhal he that ow[n]eth the houſe, come and tell the preſt, and ſaye: Methynke there is as it were a plage of leproſy in my houſe. Then ſhal the preſt commaunde to rydde all thynge out of the houſe or euer the preſt go in to ſe yͤ plage, leſt all that is in the houſe be made vncleane.”

   “Thou haſt hither to had many councels of them, ſo let the heauengaſers & the beholders of ſtarres, come on now and delyuer the: yea and let thẽ ſhewe, when theſe new thinges ſhall come vpon the. Beholde, they ſhalbe like ſtrawe, which yf it be kindled with fyre, no man maye rydde it for the vehemence of the flame: […]”

   “Then comes ſhe [Juliet] to me [Friar Laurence], / And vvith vvild lookes bid me deuiſe ſome meane / To rid her from this ſecond mariage: / Or in my Cell there vvould ſhe kill her ſelfe.”

   “We passed a large jaguar, glaring fiercely at a calf ten feet from him; […] Had we powder to waste, we would certainly have rid the graminivorous from many of their carnivorous neighbours, but we were now entering a tract of country celebrated for the depredations of the Texians and Buggles free bands, and every charge of powder thrown away was a chance the less, in case of a fight.”

4. (archaic, transitive)To clear (a place or way); especially, to clear (land) of trees, undergrowth, etc.

   “The vvaies […] Trajanius repaired, by paving vvith stone, or raiſing vvith banks caſt up ſuch peeces of them as vvere moiſt and miry; by ſtocking up & ridding ſuch as vvere rough and overgrovven vvith buſhes and briers: […]”

5. (archaic, transitive)Sometimes followed by away: to destroy or kill (someone).

   “This Gloſter ſhould be quickly rid the VVorld, / To rid vs from the feare vve haue of him.”

   “The furious Tybalt caſt an enuious thruſt [of the rapier], / That rid the life of ſtout Mercutio.”

6. (archaic, transitive)Sometimes followed by up: to remove obstacles or refuse from (a place); to clean, to clear out; specifically, to clear or empty (the stomach).

   “Come, lads, drink up your ale, and we'll just rid this corner, so as to have all clear for beginning at the wall as soon as 'tis light to-morrow.”

7. (archaic, transitive)Followed by up: to eradicate (something); to root out, to uproot.
8. (Shropshire, archaic, transitive)Sometimes followed by away or off: to complete or get through (a task, or work).

   “I Rydde buſyneſſe that I haue in hande I do it quyckly⸝ […] He is a quicke workeman he can rydde more worke in an houre than ſome can do in twayne: […]”

   “[T]he Printer, in one day ſhall rid / More Books, then yerſt a thouſand VVrighters did.”

   “[I]t vvas great Aduantage, in the Ancient States of Sparta, Athens, Rome, and others, that they had the vſe of Slaues, vvhich commonly did rid thoſe Manufactures. But that is aboliſhed, in greateſt part, by the Chriſtian Lavv.”

   “[T]he VVheel ridds VVork faſter off than the Pole can do: becauſe the ſpringing up of the Pole makes an intermiſſion in the running about of the VVork, but vvith the VVheel the VVork runs alvvays the ſame vvay; […]”

9. (US, rare, regional, transitive)Often followed by up: to put (a place, such as a room or a table) in order; to clear, to tidy.

   “VVhen you rid up the Parlour Hearth in a Morning, throvv the laſt Night's Aſhes into a Sieve; and vvhat falls through, as you carry it dovvn, vvill ſerve inſtead of Sand for the Room and the Stairs.”

   “The four breakfasted by the thin light, and the ‘house-ridding’ was taken in hand.”

10. (obsolete, transitive)To dismiss (someone) who has attended on a person; (reflexive) to remove (oneself) from a person's presence after attending to them.

    “We be able ynough to rydde vs of this mater without the [thee]: […]”

    “[A] Judge riddeth a perſone aunſweryng before hym to the lawe at the barre.”

11. (obsolete, transitive)To settle (a disagreement).

    “They [constables] ought to Rid Frays, and ſeek the Neighbours to aſſiſt for ſeparating the parties; and ſuch as hurt them may be puniſhed by the Juſtices.”

12. (also, obsolete, reflexive, transitive)Followed by of: to deprive (oneself or someone) of something; to strip.

    “[Parradio] Reſolude to ſlay the Prince, / And ridde him of his lyfe: […]”

13. (obsolete, rare, transitive)To get away from or get out of (a place); to escape.

    “But if I my Cage can rid, / I'le flye vvhere I neuer did.”

14. (archaic, intransitive)To clear land or some other place.
15. (West-Midlands, archaic, intransitive)To clear or empty the stomach; also, to clear the throat.
16. (Northern-England, intransitive, obsolete)Of work: to be completed.

    “The Huntsman now calls in his Houndes, and at the fall of the Deere the Hornes goe apace: Now beginne the Horses to breathe, and the Labourer to sweat, and with quicke hands, worke rids apace: […]”

17. (Northern-England, archaic, form-of, nonstandard, obsolete, participle, past)simple past and past participle of ride

adj

1. (archaic, not-comparable, obsolete)Chiefly of a place: which has been ridded (etymology 1, verb sense 1.4.1) or cleared; rid-up.

   “We will make room for you! We will make a rid road from here to Winchester!”

2. (Northern-England, archaic, not-comparable, obsolete)As the second word in a compound: synonym of ridden (“full of; also, dominated, oppressed, or plagued by”).

   “So Cupids faire mother be thy midvvife: out and alas I am mare rid, vvhat Somners Ghoſt or limme of Lucifer, puts poore Bordello in minde of pennance before he hath treſpaſſed?”

3. (Northern-England, archaic, not-comparable, obsolete, postpositional)Only in well-rid: of a horse: ridden.

   “[F]ull ten thouſand horſe / Freſh and vvell rid ſtrong Maſſiniſſa leades / As vvinges to Roman legions that march ſvvift / Led by that man of conqueſt, Scipio.”

noun

1. (Northern-England, archaic, obsolete, rare, uncountable)Progress which has been made; also, speed.

   “Forkers are to bee foretolde that they give upp goode forkefulls [of hay], because the winde hath not soe much force and power to blowe it away, and likewise (by this meanes) it is sooner layde, and the loader comes more ridde.”

2. (Northern-England, archaic, obsolete, uncountable)Loose earth, rubble, etc., on the surface of a quarry which must be removed before digging can begin; rid-work.
3. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable)Acronym of recognition, intrusion and distraction, three reasons why a lifeguard may fail to notice a person drowning: (a) they may fail to recognise the instinctive drowning response; (b) they may have additional duties that intrude on lifeguarding; (c) they may be distracted.