Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - read the riot act

 phrasal  1. to order a mob to disperse  2.  a. to order or warn to cease something  b. to protest vehemently  c. to reprimand severely READ  I. biographical name George 1733-1798 American statesman in Revolution  II. biographical name Sir Herbert 1893-1968 English writer READ  I. verb  (~; ~ing)  Etymology: Middle English reden to advise, interpret, ~, from Old English r?dan; akin to Old High German ratan to advise, Sanskrit radhnoti he achieves, prepares  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1.  a.  (1) to receive or take in the sense of (as letters or symbols) especially by sight or touch  (2) to study the movements of (as lips) with mental formulation of the communication expressed  (3) to utter aloud the printed or written words of ~ them a story  b. to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printing  c. to deliver aloud by or as if by ~ing; specifically to utter interpretively  d.  (1) to become acquainted with or look over the contents of (as a book)  (2) to make a study of ~ law  (3) to ~ the works of  e. to check (as copy or proof) for errors  f.  (1) to receive and understand (a voice message) by radio  (2) understand, comprehend  2.  a. to interpret the meaning or significance of ~ palms  b. foretell, predict able to ~ his fortune  3. to recognize or interpret as if by ~ing: as  a. to learn the nature of by observing outward expression or signs ~s him like a book  b. to note the action or characteristics of in order to anticipate what will happen a good canoeist ~s the rapids a golfer ~ing a green; also to predict the movement of (a putt) by ~ing a green  c. to anticipate by observation of an opponent's position or movement ~ a blitz  4.  a. to attribute a meaning to (as something ~) ; interpret how do you ~ this passage  b. to attribute (a meaning) to something ~ or considered ~ a nonexistent meaning into her words  5. to use as a substitute for or in preference to another word or phrase in a particular passage, text, or version ~ hurry for harry — often used to introduce a clarifying substitute for a euphemistic or misleading word or phrase a friendly, ~ nosy, coworker  6. indicate the thermometer ~s zero  7. to interpret (a musical work) in performance  8.  a. to acquire (information) from storage; especially to sense the meaning of (data) in recorded and coded form — used of a computer or data processor  b. to ~ the coded information on (as a floppy disk)  intransitive verb  1.  a. to perform the act of ~ing words ; ~ something  b.  (1) to learn something by ~ing  (2) to pursue a course of study  2.  a. to yield a particular meaning or impression when ~  b. to be ~able or ~ in a particular manner or to a particular degree this book ~s smoothly  3. to consist of specific words, phrases, or other similar elements a passage that ~s differently in older versions  II. adjective  Date: 1586 instructed by or informed through ~ing  III. noun  Date: 1825  1. chiefly British a period of ~ing it was a night…for a ~ and a long sleep — William Sansom  2. something (as a book) that is ~ a novel that's a good ~  3. the action or an instance of ~ing