Definition

1. Noun:

   • The second note of a major scale in solmization: In music, "re" is the syllable used to sing or name the second note (the supertonic) in the movable-do solfège system.
   • An ancient Egyptian sun god: "Re" (also spelled Ra) was a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, a creator god often depicted with a hawk's head.
   • A rare metallic element: "Re" is the chemical symbol for the element Rhenium, a dense, silvery-white metal.

2. Preposition:

   • Concerning, in the matter of, regarding: Used especially in business, legal, or formal correspondence to introduce the subject being discussed.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Music):

  • In the scale of C major, the note D is sung as "re."
  • The solfège syllables are do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti.

• Noun (Mythology):

  • The pharaoh was considered the son of Re.
  • Re was believed to travel across the sky in a solar barque.

• Noun (Chemistry):

  • Rhenium (Re) has a very high melting point.
  • The alloy contains a small percentage of Re.

• Preposition:

  • Re: your inquiry of March 15th, we have enclosed the requested documents.
  • The memo was titled "Re: Changes to the Project Timeline."

Advanced Usage

• "In re": A Latin phrase meaning "in the matter of," used in legal contexts to refer to a specific case.
  • The court filed a document "In re Estate of Johnson."

Variants and Related Words

• Ra: An alternative spelling for the Egyptian sun god.
• Rhenium: The full name of the chemical element represented by "Re."
• Regarding: A more common synonym for the prepositional use of "re."

Synonyms

• Concerning: About, with reference to (for the preposition).
• About: On the subject of (for the preposition).
• Supertonic: The technical name for the second scale degree (for the musical noun).

Related Phrases

• Re: (in correspondence): Used as a heading to indicate the subject of a letter, email, or memo.
  • Subject: Re: Meeting Agenda
  • The email's subject line began with "Re:" to show it was a reply.

Notes

• The preposition "re" is an abbreviation of the Latin "in re." In modern English, it is commonly used in the subject lines of emails and letters.
• In musical contexts, "re" is always pronounced as "ray" and is part of the fixed solfège sequence.

Noun

1. the syllable naming the second (supertonic) note of any major scale in solmization
2. ancient Egyptian sun god with the head of a hawk; a universal creator; he merged with the god Amen as Amen-Ra to become the king of the gods
3. a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum