RATHER (_third-person singular simple present_ RATHERS, _present participle_ RATHERING, _simple past and past participle_ RATHERED) * (nonstandard or dialectal) To prefer; to prefer to. * 1984, Bruce Brooks, _The Moves Make the Man_: Until just before the pie was popped into the heat. A few of them suddenly realized who put that gorgeous hunk of crackers together, and gaped. We grinned back, but very cool. The ones who knew said nothing, RATHERING to die than let on they had been hustled by two negative dudes. * 2002, Sarah Waters, _Fingersmith_: It was a plain brown dress, more or less the colour of my hair; and the walls of our kitchen being also brown, when I came downstairs again I could hardly be seen. I should have RATHERED a blue gown, or a violet one […] * 2002, Elizabeth Bowen, _The Heat of the Day_: So you must excuse my saying anything I did: all it was, that up to the very last I had understood us all to be friendly — apart, that is, from his RATHERING me not there. How was I to know he would flash out so wicked? * 2007, Mikel Schaefer, _Lost in Katrina_, page 323: "That was a killer," said Chris. "I'd RATHERED die in St. Bernard than spent one minute over there. I would have RATHERED the storm, shaking with the wind and rain hitting in the boat for an eternity than spending any time there.

RATHER (_not comparable_) * (obsolete) Prior; earlier; former. * Sir J. Mandeville Now no man dwelleth at the RATHER town.