- rake
- rake1noun1》 an implement consisting of a pole with a toothed crossbar or fine tines at the end, used for drawing together cut grass or leaves or smoothing loose soil or gravel.2》 an act of raking.verb1》 draw together or make smooth with a rake.2》 scratch or scrape with a long sweeping movement.↘draw or drag (something) through something with a sweeping movement.↘sweep with gunfire, a look, or a beam of light.3》 (rake through) rummage through.4》 (rake something in) informal make a lot of money.5》 (rake something up/over) revive the memory of a past time or event that is best forgotten.Phrasesrake over (old) coals (or rake over the ashes) chiefly Brit. revive the memory of a past event.Derivativesraker nounOriginOE raca, racu, of Gmc origin, from a base meaning 'heap up'; the verb is partly from ON raka 'to scrape, shave'.————————rake2noun a fashionable or wealthy man of dissolute habits.Phrasesa rake's progress a progressive deterioration through self-indulgence. [from the title of a series of engravings by Hogarth (1735).]OriginC17: abbrev. of archaic rakehell in the same sense.————————rake3verb1》 set at a sloping angle.↘(of a ship's mast or funnel) incline from the perpendicular towards the stern.2》 (of a ship's bow or stern) project at its upper part beyond the keel.noun1》 the angle at which a thing slopes.2》 the angle of the edge or face of a cutting tool.Derivativesraking adjectiveOriginC17: prob. related to Ger. ragen 'to project', of unknown ultimate origin; cf. Swed. raka.————————rake4noun Brit. a number of railway carriages or wagons coupled together.Originearly 20th cent. (orig. Scots and north. Engl.): from ON rák 'stripe, streak', from an alt. of rek- 'to drive'.
English new terms dictionary. 2014.