\Rath"er\, a. [Compar. of {Rath}, a.]
Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.]
      Now no man dwelleth at the rather town.  --Sir J.
                                               Mandeville.

\Rath"er\, adv. [AS. hra[eth]or, compar. of hra[eth]e,
hr[ae][eth]e, quickly, immediately. See {Rath}, a.]
1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.]
         Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I.
                                               --Chaucer.
         A good mean to come the rather to grace. --Foxe.
2. More readily or willingly; preferably.
         My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life.
                                               --Job vii. 15.
3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or
   suggested; instead.
         Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. --Mark
                                               v. 26.
4. Of two alternatives conceived of, by preference to, or as
   more likely than, the other; somewhat.
         He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain,
         And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain.
                                               --Dryden.
5. More properly; more correctly speaking.
         This is an art Which does mend nature, change it
         rather, but The art itself is nature. --Shak.
6. In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the
   house is rather damp.
{The rather}, the more so; especially; for better reason; for
   particular cause.
         You are come to me in happy time, The rather for I
         have some sport in hand.              --Shak.
{Had rather}, or {Would rather}, prefer to; prefers to; as,
   he had, or would, rather go than stay. ``I had rather
   speak five words with my understanding than ten thousands
   words in an unknown tongue.'' --1 Cor. xiv. 19. See {Had
   rather}, under {Had}.