rally

ral|ly1 [ `ræli ] noun **

▸ 1 public meeting

▸ 2 an increase in value

▸ 3 in tennis etc.

▸ 4 car race

▸ 5 improvement

1. ) count a public meeting that a lot of people go to in order to support something or protest against something:

a pro-democracy rally

hold/stage a rally (=make it happen): Environmental groups held a rally in Washington last week.

mass rally (=one that a lot of people go to): a mass rally in support of the strike

2. ) singular an increase in the value of something after a period when its value has been low:

There has been a sharp rally in the price of gold.

3. ) count an occasion when two players in a game such as tennis hit the ball to each other several times before either of them wins the point

4. ) count a car race on public roads or land:

a rally driver

the Paris Dakar rally

5. ) count an improvement in the way a team is playing after they have played badly

a ) an improvement in someone's health after they have been sick

rally

ral|ly 2 [ `ræli ] verb

1. ) intransitive or transitive to join other people in order to support someone or something when they are having problems:

rally to someone's defense/assistance/support: Parents rallied to the defense of the school.

rally behind: Supporters have been quick to rally behind the team.

rally to the cause (=join other people in order to support something specific): Animal rights groups have rallied to the cause of this endangered species.

rally support (for something) (=encourage people to support something): A demonstration is planned to rally support for the workforce.

2. ) intransitive if things such as prices rally, they improve and increase in value after being low:

World financial markets rallied after the announcement.

3. ) intransitive if a player or team rallies, they improve and start to play well after playing badly:

Cleveland rallied late in the game to beat Detroit 5 4.

a ) if you rally, your health improves and you get better after being sick:

She had showed no signs of rallying since the operation.

,rally a`round or ,rally `round phrasal verb intransitive or transitive INFORMAL

to work with other people to help someone in a difficult situation:

Friends and neighbors rallied around to help.