English
Adjective
in the raw (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) In the natural state; in real life.
- 1908, Jack London, The Iron Heel,
- He was seeing life in the raw, and it was a different life from what he had known within the printed books of his library.
- 1921, Rafael Sabatini, Scaramouche,
- He read there in the raw what is perhaps the most amazing page in the history of human development, and in the end he was forced to the conclusion that all his early preconceptions had been at fault, and that it was such exalted, passionate enthusiasts as Vilmorin who had been right.
- 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room,
- In spite of defending indecency, Jacob doubted whether he liked it in the raw.
- (idiomatic, euphemistic) Naked.
- 2001, Doug McGuinn, The Apple Indians, page 39,
- He stood gawking at Cyndee, who was standing in the raw on the shore of the pond his daddy had put in.
- 2010, Mark J. Okrant, A Last Resort, page 90,
- As he waited for Pamela to return, Richard was standing in the raw before his full-length mirror.
- 2011, J. L. O'Faolain, The Thirteenth Child, page 88,
- James brought his hand away and immediately jumped at the sight of Cole standing in the raw, calmly passing the bag back to the inspector. “I thought you said it was safe to look,” he accused.
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