Hypertext Webster Gateway: "racy"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Racy \Ra"cy\, a. [Compar. {Racier}; superl. {Raciest}.] [From
{Race} a tribe, family.]
1. Having a strong flavor indicating origin; of distinct
characteristic taste; tasting of the soil; hence, fresh;
rich.

The racy wine, Late from the mellowing cask restored
to light. --Pope.

2. Hence: Exciting to the mental taste by a strong or
distinctive character of thought or language; peculiar and
piquant; fresh and lively.

Our raciest, most idiomatic popular word. --M.
Arnold.

Burn's English, though not so racy as his Scotch, is
generally correct. --H.
Coleridge.

The rich and racy humor of a natural converser fresh
from the plow. --Prof.
Wilson.

Syn: Spicy; spirited; lively; smart; piquant.

Usage: {Racy}, {Spicy}. Racy refers primarily to that
peculiar flavor which certain wines are supposed to
derive from the soil in which the grapes were grown;
and hence we call a style or production racy when it
``smacks of the soil,'' or has an uncommon degree of
natural freshness and distinctiveness of thought and
language. Spicy, when applied, has reference to a
spirit and pungency added by art, seasoning the matter
like a condiment. It does not, like racy, suggest
native peculiarity. A spicy article in a magazine; a
spicy retort. Racy in conversation; a racy remark.

Rich, racy verses, in which we The soil from
which they come, taste, smell, and see.
--Cowley.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

racy
adj 1: full of zest or vigor; "a racy literary style" [syn: {lively}]
2: suggestive of sexual impropriety; "a blue movie"; "blue
jokes"; "he skips asterisks and gives you the gamy
details"; "a juicy scandal"; "a naughty wink"; "naughty
words"; "racy anecdotes"; "a risque story"; "spicy gossip"
[syn: {blue}, {gamy}, {gamey}, {juicy}, {naughty}, {risque},
{spicy}]


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