Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch rāke (Dutch raak , now regional (Flanders, North Holland)), Middle Low German rāke , racke , Old Swedish raka (Swedish raka ), Danish rage (now chiefly regional), and (with a different ablaut grade) Middle Dutch rēke (Dutch reek , now chiefly regional), Old Saxon recho , Old High German rehho , rech (Middle High German reche , German Rechen ), Old Icelandic reka (in sense ‘spade, shovel') < the same Germanic base as reke v.²The origin of the phrase as thin as a rake at Phrases is disputed. It has been suggested that rake here may perhaps represent an alteration (by popular etymology) of an unattested borrowing from early Scandinavian (compare Norwegian regional rak skeleton, dead body, and (probably) Old Icelandic hrak- (in hrakligr wretched, hrakmagr wretchedly thin, etc.; Icelandic hrak something worthless)); see further W. B. Lockwood Informal Introd. Eng. Etymol. (1995) 169–70. Similar alteration of rack n.⁴ has also been suggested. In sense 2c perhaps influenced by rape n.⁶ In Old English both as a weak feminine (Mercian raece) and a weak masculine (raca), and also (in late sources) as a strong feminine (racu).

Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch rāke (also raec ; Dutch raak , now rare), Middle Low German rak , Old High German hrahho , rahho (Middle High German rache ; German Rachen ); probably ultimately imitative of sounds produced in the back of the mouth or the throat; compare reach v.², rook n.¹ (which are perhaps related), and also rough v.¹In Old English both as a weak feminine (hrace ) and a weak masculine (hraca ), and also occasionally as a strong feminine (hracu ). Apparently also attested in place names (in sense 2), as Rachetone (1086), Rakentune (1121; now Racton, Sussex), Racheneforda (1086), Racarneforde (1147–61; now Rackenford, Devon), Ragendel (1086), Rachendale (c1130; now Ragdale, Leicestershire), Rake (1228; now Rake, Devon), Rakedene klouh (13th cent.; now Ragden Wood, Lancashire), la Rake (1361; now Raikes Farm, Surrey), etc., and in surnames derived from them, as Henr. de la Rake (1275), John ate Rake (1296), Rob. atte Rhak' , etc.; however, it is very often difficult or impossible to distinguish from rake n.³, which some of the above names may represent.

Etymology: Probably originally the same word as Old English racu explanation, reason, account, narrative, cognate with Old Saxon raka object, account, Old High German rahha thing, condition, reason, speech, Old Icelandic rǫk reason, origin, marvel, wonder, course of events, destiny < the same Germanic base as rech v. (the core meaning of which appears to have been ‘to stretch, extend, reach’: for the semantic development see discussion at that entry). In later use partly merged with a borrowing < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic rák stripe, streak (in Icelandic also in sense ‘vein in timber or stone, notch in a rock’), Norwegian råk open channel (in ice), cow path, trail, (in Nynorsk also in senses 'furrow, stripe’), Swedish råk crack or channel in ice, damp hollow or valley (1640)), of uncertain origin: perhaps < the same Scandinavian base as Old Icelandic rakr straight, Swedish rak straight (1541), Old Danish rag taut, stiff (Danish rag ; now chiefly regional), probably ultimately < the same Germanic base as Old English racu (see above). In later use sometimes apprehended as the same word as raik n.¹ (in branch II. perhaps originally simply a variant of raik n.¹ subsequently distinguished in form). Compare rack n.⁵In sense 2 perhaps influenced by rake n.² 2. Perhaps also attested (in either sense 1 or 2) in some of the place names listed at rake n.² (see discussion at that entry).

Etymology: < rake v.¹ Compare earlier rack n.²

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps an alteration of rag n.²; or perhaps a transferred use of rake n.⁴ (compare rake n.⁴ 1), with allusion to the boisterousness of colts (see D. Scott-Macnab Sporting Lexicon 15th Cent. (2003) 271 and compare rage n. 7).

Etymology: Apparently < rake v.³

Etymology: Short for rakehell n.

Etymology: < rake v.²Earlier currency of the word is perhaps implied by rakes n. (see discussion at that entry).

Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch rāken to hit, to touch, to reach (Dutch raken ), Middle Low German rāken , rōken to hit, to touch, to reach, Old High German rahhōn to narrate, speak, and probably also Swedish raka to rush off, dash off (1643) < the same Germanic base as rech v. (the core meaning of which appears to have been ‘to stretch, extend, reach’: for the semantic development see discussion at that entry).In northern Middle English and Older Scots (as also in later northern English and Scots) not formally distinct from raik v. (the graphs ai and ay being very commonly used (especially in Older Scots) for the reflex of Middle English long ā ), and consequently, in sense 2 (where there is a degree of semantic overlap) not always easily distinguishable from raik v. 1; some examples might alternatively be interpreted as showing raik v.

Etymology: Partly < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic raka to rake, to shave, Old Swedish raka (Swedish raka ), Old Danish raghæ , rakæ (Danish rage ), cognate with Middle Dutch rāken to rake (Dutch raken , now regional), Middle Low German rāken < the same Germanic base as rake n.¹), and partly < rake n.¹ Compare post-classical Latin rakiare (1292 in a British source). Compare reke v.², rauk v. In the Older Scots form wraik apparently with inverted spelling. The past tense and past participle roke and the past participle rok are apparently after broke, past tense and past participle of break v. The past participle raken and also the past tense ruke and the past tense and past participle ruck , ruk , etc. are apparently after past tense and past participle forms of take v. Attested earlier (in sense 1) as a surname: Thomas Rakestrau (1319).