Definitions for: Rake


[n] a long-handled tool with a row of teeth at its head; used to move leaves or loosen soil
[n] degree of deviation from a horizontal plane; "the roof had a steep pitch"
[n] a dissolute man in fashionable society
[v] scrape gently
[v] gather with a rake; "rake leaves"
[v] level or smooth with a rake; "rake gravel"
[v] move through with or as if with a rake; "She raked her fingers through her hair"
[v] examine hastily
[v] sweep the length of; "The gunfire raked the coast"



Webster (1913) Definition: Rake, n. [AS. race; akin to OD. rake, D. reek, OHG,
rehho, G. rechen, Icel, reka a shovel, and to Goth. rikan to
heap up, collect, and perhaps to Gr. ? to stretch out, and E.
rack to stretch. Cf. Reckon.]
1. An implement consisting of a headpiece having teeth, and a
long handle at right angles to it, -- used for collecting
hay, or other light things which are spread over a large
surface, or for breaking and smoothing the earth.

2. A toothed machine drawn by a horse, -- used for collecting
hay or grain; a horserake.

3. [Perhaps a different word.] (Mining) A fissure or mineral
vein traversing the strata vertically, or nearly so; --
called also rake-vein.

Gill rakes. (Anat.) See under 1st Gill.


Rake, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Raked; p. pr. & vb. n.
Raking.] [AS. racian. See 1st Rake.]
1. To collect with a rake; as, to rake hay; -- often with up;
as, he raked up the fallen leaves.

2. Hence: To collect or draw together with laborious
industry; to gather from a wide space; to scrape together;
as, to rake together wealth; to rake together slanderous
tales; to rake together the rabble of a town.

3. To pass a rake over; to scrape or scratch with a rake for
the purpose of collecting and clearing off something, or
for stirring up the soil; as, to rake a lawn; to rake a
flower bed.

4. To search through; to scour; to ransack.

The statesman rakes the town to find a plot.
--Swift.

5. To scrape or scratch across; to pass over quickly and
lightly, as a rake does.

Like clouds that rake the mountain summits.
--Wordsworth.

6. (Mil.) To enfilade; to fire in a direction with the length
of; in naval engagements, to cannonade, as a ship, on the
stern or head so that the balls range the whole length of
the deck.

To rake up.
(a) To collect together, as the fire (live coals), and
cover with ashes.
(b) To bring up; to search out an bring to notice again;
as, to rake up old scandals.


Rake, v. i.
1. To use a rake, as for searching or for collecting; to
scrape; to search minutely.

One is for raking in Chaucer for antiquated words.
--Dryden.

2. To pass with violence or rapidity; to scrape along.

Pas could not stay, but over him did rake. --Sir P.
Sidney.


Rake, n. [Cf. dial. Sw. raka to reach, and E. reach.]
To inclination of anything from a perpendicular direction;
as, the rake of a roof, a staircase, etc.; especially
(Naut.), the inclination of a mast or tunnel, or, in general,
of any part of a vessel not perpendicular to the keel.


Rake, v. i.
To incline from a perpendicular direction; as, a mast rakes
aft.

Raking course (Bricklaying), a course of bricks laid
diagonally between the face courses in a thick wall, to
strengthen.


Rake, n. [OE. rakel rash; cf. Icel. reikall wandering,
unsettled, reika to wander.]
A loose, disorderly, vicious man; a person addicted to
lewdness and other scandalous vices; a debauchee; a rou['e].

An illiterate and frivolous old rake. --Macaulay.


Rake, v. i.
1. [Icel. reika. Cf. Rake a debauchee.] To walk about; to
gad or ramble idly. [Prov. Eng.]

2. [See Rake a debauchee.] To act the rake; to lead a
dissolute, debauched life. --Shenstone.

To rake out (Falconry), to fly too far and wide from its
master while hovering above waiting till the game is
sprung; -- said of the hawk. --Encyc. Brit.

Synonyms: blood, crease, glance over, graze, pitch, profligate, rip, roue, run down, scan, skim, slant

See Also: brush, collect, croupier's rake, debauchee, displace, enfilade, examine, garden rake, garner, gather, gradient, grate, libertine, move, pull together, rake handle, rake in, rake off, rounder, scrape, see, shave, shovel in, slope, smooth, smoothen, sweep, tool

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