Definition of "rake"

(agriculture, horticulture) A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting debris, grass, etc., for flattening the ground, or for loosening soil; also, a similar wheel-mounted tool drawn by a horse or a tractor.  quotations  examples

(by extension) A similarly shaped tool used for other purposes.

1. (gambling) A tool with a straight edge at the end used by a croupier to move chips or money across a gaming table.  examples

(cellular automata) A type of puffer train that leaves behind a stream of spaceships as it moves.  quotations  examples

To act upon with a rake, or as if with a rake.

1. (transitive, also figurative) Often followed by in: to gather (things which are apart) together, especially quickly.  examples

2. (transitive) Often followed by an adverb or preposition such as away, off, out, etc.: to drag or pull in a certain direction.  examples

3. (transitive, intransitive, figurative) To claw at; to scrape, to scratch; followed by away: to erase, to obliterate.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Pas could not stay, but over him did rake, / And crown'd the earth with his first touching crowne: [...]

     c. 1580 (date written), Philip Sidney, “The Fifth Booke”, in Mary Sidney, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia […], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1593; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Last Part of The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia […] (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; II), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1922, page 220

   • Like clouds that rake the mountain-summits, / Or waves that own no curbing hand, / How fast has brother followed brother, / From sunshine to the sunless land!

     1835 November 30 (date composed), William Wordsworth, “Extempore Effusion upon the Death of James Hogg”, in Henry [Hope] Reed, editor, The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, Philadelphia, Pa.: Hayes & Zell, […], published 1860, page 286, column 2

4. (transitive, intransitive, figurative) Followed by up: to bring up or uncover (something), as embarrassing information, past misdeeds, etc.  examples

5. (transitive, intransitive, figurative) To search through (thoroughly).  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • [...] I have added to both of them [language and poetry] in the choice of Words, and Harmony of Numbers which were wanting, [...] One is for raking in [Geoffrey] Chaucer (our Engliſh Ennius) for antiquated Words, which are never to be reviv'd, but when Sound or Significancy is wanting in the preſent Language.

     1697, Virgil, “Postscript to the Reader”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], page 621

   • The statesman rakes the town to find a plot, / And dreams of forfeitures by treason got.

     1724, Jonathan Swift, “On Dreams. An Imitation of Petronius.”, in Thomas Sheridan and John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, page 271

   • Jack's gaze raked the room, searching for some indication that something was wrong, that someone was going to suddenly spring forward and grab her.

     2003 March, Karyn Monk, The Wedding Escape, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, page 96

6. (transitive, intransitive, also figurative) To move (a beam of light, a glance with the eyes, etc.) across (something) with a long side-to-side motion; specifically (often military) to use a weapon to fire at (something) with a side-to-side motion; to spray with gunfire.  quotations

   Quotations

   • George took the glass again and raked the vessel. "How she does pitch!" he said.

     1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848

   • Armor-piercing shells were heading up the shell hoists, but this procedure took a few minutes, allowing the battered American flagship to reply in kind, the gunners somewhat motivated to set new records for the rate of fire as the cruiser raked the larger ship from stem to stern in response.

     2021 March 10, Drachinifel, 17:51 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - The Big Night Battle: Night 1 (IJN 3(?) : 2 USN)‎, archived from the original on 17 October 2022

   1. (military, nautical) To fire upon an enemy vessel from a position in line with its bow or stern, causing one's fire to travel through the length of the enemy vessel for maximum damage.

7. (transitive, chiefly Ireland, Northern England, Scotland, also figurative) To cover (something) by or as if by raking things over it.  examples

The act of raking.  examples

Something that is raked.

1. (gambling) the scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a poker game.  examples

2. (chiefly Ireland, Scotland, slang) A lot, plenty.

(Northern England and climbing, also figurative) A course, a path, especially a narrow and steep path or route up a hillside.  examples

(mining) A fissure or mineral vein of ore traversing the strata vertically, or nearly so.  examples

(Britain, originally Northern England, Scotland) A series, a succession; specifically (rail transport) a set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.  quotations  examples

(Midlands, Northern England) Alternative spelling of raik (“a course, a way; pastureland over which animals graze; a journey to transport something between two places; a run; also, the quantity of items so transported”)  examples

(intransitive, Midlands, Northern England, Scotland) to walk; to roam, to wander; of animals (especially sheep): to graze; (transitive, chiefly Scotland) to roam or wander through (somewhere)”)  examples

(intransitive, chiefly Midlands, Northern England, Scotland) To move swiftly; to proceed rapidly.  examples

(intransitive, falconry) Of a bird of prey: to fly after a quarry; also, to fly away from the falconer, to go wide of the quarry being pursued.  examples

(Scotland) Rate of progress; pace, speed.  examples

(transitive, intransitive) To incline (something) from a perpendicular direction.  examples

(nautical) Senses relating to watercraft.

1. (transitive) To provide (the bow or stern of a watercraft) with a rake (“a slant that causes it to extend beyond the keel”).  examples

2. (intransitive, rare) Of a watercraft: to have a rake at its bow or stern.

A divergence from the horizontal or perpendicular; a slant, a slope.  examples

(specifically) In full, angle of rake or rake angle: the angle between the edge or face of a tool (especially a cutting tool) and a plane (usually one perpendicular to the object that the tool is being applied to).  examples

(geology) The direction of slip during the movement of a fault, measured within the fault plane.

(nautical) Senses relating to watercraft.

1. A slant that causes the bow or stern of a watercraft to extend beyond the keel; also, the upper part of the bow or stern that extends beyond the keel.  examples

2. A slant of some other part of a watercraft (such as a funnel or mast) away from the perpendicular, usually towards the stern.  examples

(roofing) The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.  examples

A person (usually a man) who is stylish but habituated to hedonistic and immoral conduct.  quotations  examples

(intransitive, dated, rare) To behave as a rake; to lead a hedonistic and immoral life.  quotations