ray
verb
rayed; raying; rays
1
a
: to shine in or as if in rays
b
: to issue as rays
2
: to extend like the radii of a circle : radiate
Examples of ray in a Sentence
klieg lights were raying against the nighttime sky at the Hollywood premiere
laugh wrinkles rayed out from the corners of the old man's eyes
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientists have long grouped sharks together as a natural evolutionary unit, meaning every shark species shares a common ancestor that rays and skates do not.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
That’s why countries around the world agreed in December 2025 to add more than 70 shark and ray species to an international wildlife trade treaty’s list for full or partial protection.
—Gareth J. Fraser, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ray
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost.
—Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
That’s why countries around the world agreed in December 2025 to add more than 70 shark and ray species to an international wildlife trade treaty’s list for full or partial protection.
—Gareth J. Fraser, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ray
Cite this Entry
“Ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ray. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ray
1 of 2 noun
: any of numerous flat broad fishes (as stingrays and skates) usually living on the sea bottom and having eyes on the upper surface of their bodies, a long narrow tail, and a skeleton made of cartilage
ray
2 of 2 noun1
a
: one of the lines of light that appear to be given off by a bright object
b
: a thin beam of radiant energy (as light)
c
: a stream of particles (as electrons) traveling in the same line
2
a
: any of a group of lines coming from a common center
b
3
: a plant or animal structure that resembles a ray: as
a
b
: one of the bony rods in the fin of a fish
4
: a tiny bit
a ray of hope
Medical Definition
ray
1 of 2 noun
: any of numerous elasmobranch fishes (division Batomorphi) having the body flattened dorsoventrally, the eyes on the upper surface, and a much-reduced caudal region having typically a slender process often with venomous spines
ray
2 of 2 noun1
: one of the lines of light that appear to radiate from a bright object
2
: a beam of radiant energy (as light) of small cross section
3
a
: a stream of material particles traveling in the same line (as in radioactive phenomena)
b
: a single particle of such a stream
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