2.  To study hard; to DIG, q.v.

Ill-favored men, eager for his old boots and diseased raiment, torment him while rooting at his Greek.—­Harv.  Mag., Vol.  I. p. 267.

ROT.  Twaddle, platitude.  In use among the students at the University of Cambridge, Eng.—­Bristed.

ROWES.  The name of a party which formerly existed at Dartmouth College.  They are thus described in The Dartmouth, Vol.  IV. p. 117:  “The Rowes are very liberal in their notions.  The Rowes don’t pretend to say anything worse of a fellow than to call him a Blue, and vice versa.”

See BLUES.

ROWING.  The making of loud and noisy disturbance; acting like a rowdy.

  Flushed with the juice of the grape,
        all prime and ready for rowing. 
  When from the ground I raised
        the fragments of ponderous brickbat.
    Harvardiana, Vol.  III. p. 98.

The Fellow-Commoners generally being more disposed to rowing than reading.—­Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng.  Univ., Ed. 2d. p. 34.

ROWING-MAN.  One who is more inclined to fast living than hard study.  Among English students used in contradistinction to READING-MAN, q.v.

When they go out to sup, as a reading-man does perhaps once a term, and a rowing-man twice a week, they eat very moderately, though their potations are sometimes of the deepest.—­Bristed’s Five Years in an Eng.  Univ., Ed. 2d, p. 21.

ROWL, ROWEL.  At Princeton, Union, and Hamilton Colleges, this word is used to signify a good recitation.  Used in the phrase, “to make a rowl.”  From the second of these colleges, a correspondent writes:  “Also of the word rowl; if a public speaker presents a telling appeal or passage, he would make a perfect rowl, in the language of all students at least.”

ROWL.  To recite well.  A correspondent from Princeton College defines this word, “to perform any exercise well, recitation, speech, or composition; to succeed in any branch or pursuit.”

RUSH.  At Yale College, a perfect recitation is denominated a rush.

I got my lesson perfectly, and what is more, made a perfect rush.—­Yale Lit.  Mag., Vol.  XIII. p. 134.

  Every rush and fizzle made
  Every body frigid laid.
    Ibid., Vol.  XX. p. 186.

This mark [that of a hammer with a note, “hit the nail on the head”] signifies that the student makes a capital hit; in other words, a decided rush.—­Yale Banger, Nov. 10, 1846.

  In dreams his many rushes heard.
    Ibid., Oct. 22, 1847.

This word is much used among students with the common meaning; thus, they speak of “a rush into prayers,” “a rush into the recitation-room,” &c.  A correspondent from Dartmouth College says:  “Rushing the Freshmen is putting them out of the chapel.”  Another from Williams writes:  “Such a man is making a rush, and to this we often add—­for the Valedictory.”