an agricultural implement with teeth or tines for gathering cut grass, hay, or the like or for smoothing the surface of the ground.
any of various implements having a similar form, as a croupier's implement for gathering in money on a gaming table.
verb (used with object),raked,rak·ing.
to gather, draw, or remove with a rake: to rake dead leaves from a lawn.
to clear, smooth, or prepare with a rake: to rake a garden bed.
to clear (a fire, embers, etc.) by stirring with a poker or the like.
to gather or collect abundantly (usually followed by in): He marketed his invention and has been raking in money ever since.
to bring to light, usually for discreditable reasons (usually followed by up): to rake up an old scandal.
to search thoroughly through: They raked the apartment for the missing jewels.
to scrape; scratch: The sword's tip raked his face lightly.
to scoop out (a masonry joint) to a given depth while the mortar is still green.
to fire guns along the length of (a position, body of troops, ship, etc.).
to sweep with the eyes: He raked the horizon with his gaze.
verb (used without object),raked,rak·ing.
to use a rake: The gardener raked along the border of the garden.
to search, as with a rake: His gaze raked over the room.
to scrape; search: She frantically raked through her belongings.
Idioms for rake
rake over the coals. coal (def. 8).
Origin of rake
1
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English rak(e), Old English raca (masculine), racu (feminine); cognate with German Rechen, Old Norse reka “shovel”; (verb) Middle English raken, partly derivative of the noun, partly from Old Norse raka “to scrape, rake”
SYNONYMS FOR rake
8 comb, scour, ransack.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rake ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM rake
rak·a·ble,rake·a·ble,adjectiveraker,noun
Words nearby rake
Rajput, Rajputana, Rajya Sabha, rakʿa, Rakata, rake, raked, rakehell, rake in, rake-off, rake over the coals
Definition for rake (2 of 4)
rake2
[ reyk ]
/ reɪk /
noun
a dissolute or immoral person, especially a man who indulges in vices or lacks sexual restraint.
Origin of rake
2
First recorded in 1645–55; see origin at rakehell
SYNONYMS FOR rake
roué, libertine, profligate, lecher, womanizer.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR rake ON THESAURUS.COM
Definition for rake (3 of 4)
rake3
[ reyk ]
/ reɪk /
verb (used without object),raked,rak·ing.
to incline from the vertical, as a mast, or from the horizontal.
verb (used with object),raked,rak·ing.
to cause (something) to incline from the vertical or the horizontal.
noun
inclination or slope away from the perpendicular or the horizontal.
a board or molding placed along the sloping sides of a frame gable to cover the ends of the siding.
Aeronautics. the angle measured between the tip edge of an aircraft or missile wing or other lifting surface and the plane of symmetry.
Machinery. the angle between the cutting face of a tool and a plane perpendicular to the surface of the work at the cutting point.
Origin of rake
3
First recorded in 1620–30; origin uncertain
Definition for rake (4 of 4)
rake4
[ reyk ]
/ reɪk /
verb (used without object),raked,rak·ing.
Hunting.
(of a hawk) to fly after game.
(of a dog) to hunt with the nose close to the ground instead of in the wind.
Chiefly Scot.to go or proceed, especially with speed.
Origin of rake
4
First recorded before 1000; Middle English raken “to go, hasten,” Old English racian
The next 10 times after that, the sheer repetition made it funny again, like the famous Simpsons rake joke.
Rage Against GamerGate’s Hate Machine: What I Got For Speaking Up|Arthur Chu|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That tour, of course, is the On the Run tour featuring Beyoncé and Jay Z, which is on track to rake in up to $100 million.
The End of Beyonce and Jay Z? The Craziest Claims From the New York Post’s Hit Piece|Marlow Stern|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“This is my collage about a farm,” he said pointing out a rake, plant, and chicken.
How I’ll End the War: Making Collage Art With Afghan Students|Nick Willard|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kerry Washington–led show continues to rake in impressive audience ratings, even during its holiday break.
The Possibilities of ‘Deception’: Meagan Good on Her New NBC Show|Allison Samuels|January 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This year, Facebook will rake in $2.2 billion in display ads versus $1.6 billion for Yahoo.
Too Late to Fix Yahoo?|Dan Lyons|June 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Rake the surface frequently to keep down weeds and to prevent the soil from baking (see Tillage).
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn
When this occurred, the practice was to rake out both water cress and alg and reset the entire bed.
The Home Medical Library, Volume V (of VI)|Various
I rake until dinner time and have perhaps a third of the raking done.
The American Country Girl|Martha Foote Crow
At this time it is well to go over them with a harrow or a rake.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn
An excellent method of accomplishing this is by means of a horse and rake.
English Walnuts|Various
British Dictionary definitions for rake (1 of 4)
rake1
/ (reɪk) /
noun
a hand implement consisting of a row of teeth set in a headpiece attached to a long shaft and used for gathering hay, straw, leaves, etc, or for smoothing loose earth
any of several mechanical farm implements equipped with rows of teeth or rotating wheels mounted with tines and used to gather hay, straw, etc
any of various implements similar in shape or function, such as a tool for drawing out ashes from a furnace
the act of raking
NZa line of wagons coupled together as one unit, used on railways
verb
to scrape, gather, or remove (leaves, refuse, etc) with or as if with a rake
to level or prepare (a surface, such as a flower bed) with a rake or similar implement
(tr sometimes foll by out) to clear (ashes, clinker, etc) from (a fire or furnace)
(tr ; foll by up or together)to gather (items or people) with difficulty, as from a scattered area or limited supply
(tr ; often foll by through, over etc)to search or examine carefully
(when intr , foll by against, along etc) to scrape or grazethe ship raked the side of the quay
(tr)to direct (gunfire) along the length of (a target)machine-guns raked the column
(tr)to sweep (one's eyes) along the length of (something); scan
See also rake in, rake-off, rake up
Word Origin for rake
Old English raca; related to Old Norse raka, Old High German rehho a rake, Gothic rikan to heap up, Latin rogus funeral pile
British Dictionary definitions for rake (2 of 4)
rake2
/ (reɪk) /
noun
a dissolute man, esp one in fashionable society; roué
Word Origin for rake
C17: short for rakehell
British Dictionary definitions for rake (3 of 4)
rake3
/ (reɪk) /
verb(mainly intr)
to incline from the vertical by a perceptible degree, esp (of a ship's mast or funnel) towards the stern
(tr)to construct with a backward slope
noun
the degree to which an object, such as a ship's mast, inclines from the perpendicular, esp towards the stern
theatrethe slope of a stage from the back towards the footlights
aeronautics
the angle between the wings of an aircraft and the line of symmetry of the aircraft
the angle between the line joining the centroids of the section of a propeller blade and a line perpendicular to the axis
the angle between the working face of a cutting tool and a plane perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece
a slanting ledge running across a crag in the Lake District
Word Origin for rake
C17: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to German ragen to project, Swedish raka
British Dictionary definitions for rake (4 of 4)
rake4
/ (reɪk) /
verb(intr)
(of gun dogs or hounds) to hunt with the nose to the ground
(of hawks)
to pursue quarry in full flight
(often foll by away)to fly wide of the quarry, esp beyond the control of the falconer
Word Origin for rake
Old English racian to go forward, of uncertain origin