Rake

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɹeɪk/
• Rhymes: -eɪk

Old English raca, from Proto-Germanic *rakaz

Full definition of rake

Noun

1. A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.
2. (Ireland, slang) a lot, plenty.Jim has had a rake of trouble with his new car.
3. (geology) the direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.
4. (roofing) the sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.
5. (rail transport) a set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.The train was formed of a locomotive and a rake of six coaches
6. (cellular automata) A puffer that emits a stream of spaceships rather than a trail of debris.
7. The scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a poker game.
8. A toothed machine drawn by a horse, used for collecting hay or grain; a horserake.
9. (mining) A fissure or mineral vein traversing the strata vertically, or nearly so.

Synonyms

• (rail transport) consist

Derived terms

• thin as a rake

Verb

1. To use a rake on (leaves, debris, soil, a lawn, etc) in order to loosen, gather together, or remove debris from.We raked all the leaves into a pile
2. To search thoroughly.Detectives appeared, roped the curious people out of the grounds, and raked the place for clews. -- Captain John Blaine
• Drydenraking in Chaucer for antiquated words
• Jonathan SwiftThe statesman rakes the town to find a plot.
3. To spray with gunfire.the enemy machine guns raked the roadway
4. To claw at; to scratch.Her sharp fingernails raked the side of my face.
• Wordsworthlike clouds that rake the mountain summits
5. To gather, especially quickly (often as rake in)The casino is just raking in the cash; it's like a license to print money.
6. (intransitive) To pass with violence or rapidity; to scrape along.
• Sir Philip SidneyPas could not stay, but over him did rake.

Synonyms

• (search thoroughly) comb, go over or through with a fine-tooth comb, scour

From Middle English raken, from Old English racian ("to direct, rule, govern, control; take a course or direction, go forward, move, run; hasten"), from Proto-Germanic *rakōną ("to choose a direction, run"), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- ("to straighten, direct"). Cognate with Dutch raken ("to hit, touch, reach").

Verb

1. (intransitive) To proceed rapidly; to move swiftly.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To guide; to direct
3. (intransitive) To incline from a perpendicular direction.A mast rakes aft.

Shortening of rakehell, possibly from rake (etymology 2) ("to proceed rapidly")

Noun

1. A man habituated to immoral conduct.We now have rakes in the habit of Roman senators, and grave politicians in the dress of Rakes. — the Spectator

Synonyms

• roué

Verb

1. (UK, dialect, dated) To walk about; to gad or ramble idly.
2. (UK, dialect, dated) To act the rake; to lead a dissolute, debauched life.

From Middle English, from Old Norse rák ("trail"), from Proto-Germanic *rēkō, *raką, *rakō, *rakǭ ("file of tracks, line"), from Proto-Indo-European *(o)reg'-, *(o)reg'a- ("to straighten, direct"). Cognate with Icelandic rák ("streak, grazing"), Icelandic raka ("strip, series"), Norwegian røk ("grazing"), Norwegian rak ("wick"), Old English race, racu ("a run, riverbed").

Alternative forms

• raik

Noun

1. (provincial, Northern England) a course; direction; stretch.
2. (provincial, Northern England, for animals) a range, stray.a sheep-raik = a sheep-walk

Verb

1. (provincial, Northern England) To run or rove.

Anagrams

• KERA