rack

1 of 9

noun (1)

ˈrak 

1

: a framework, stand, or grating on or in which articles are placed

2

: an instrument of torture on which a body is stretched

3

a(1)

: a cause of anguish or pain

(2)

: acute suffering

b

: the action of straining or wrenching

4

a

: a bar with teeth on one face for gearing with a pinion or worm gear to transform rotary motion to linear motion or vice versa (as in an automobile steering mechanism)

b

: a notched bar used as a ratchet to engage with a pawl, click, or detent

5

: a pair of antlers

6

: bed, sack

7

: a triangular frame used to set up the balls in a pool game

also : the balls as set up

8

: a framework for holding fodder for livestock

rackful

ˈrak-ˌfu̇l 

noun

rack

2 of 9

verb (1)

racked; racking; racks

transitive verb

1

: to cause to suffer torture, pain, anguish, or ruin

2

: to place (balls, such as pool balls) in a rack

3

a

: to stretch or strain violently

b

: to raise (rents) oppressively

c

: to harass or oppress with high rents or extortions

4

: to torture on the rack

5

: to work or treat (material) on a rack

6

: to work by a rack and pinion or worm so as to extend or contract

rack a camera

7

: to seize (ropes, such as parallel ropes of a tackle) together

intransitive verb

: to become forced out of shape or out of plumb

racker noun

rackingly

ˈra-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

rack

3 of 9

noun (2)

1

: the rib section of a lamb's forequarters used for chops or as a roast see lamb illustration

2

: the neck and spine of a forequarter of veal, pork, or especially mutton

rack

4 of 9

noun (3)

: destruction

rack and ruin

rack

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noun (4)

: either of two gaits of a horse:

a

: pace sense 4b

b

: a fast showy 4-beat gait similar to the pace but in which the feet of the same side do not touch down at the same time

rack

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verb (2)

racked; racking; racks

intransitive verb

of a horse

: to go at a rack

rack

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noun (5)

: a wind-driven mass of high often broken clouds

rack

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verb (3)

racked; racking; racks

intransitive verb

: to fly or scud in high wind

rack

9 of 9

verb (4)

racked; racking; racks

transitive verb

: to draw off (wine) from the lees

Phrases

on the rack

: under great emotional stress

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you rack or wrack your brain?

Wrack and rack are etymologically distinct, meaning they come from different words. Many usage guides will advise that you should use wrack for meanings such as "to utterly ruin," and rack for "to cause to suffer torture, pain, anguish, or ruin." If you follow this advice, the proper choice for what you do to your brain when thinking very hard is rack. However, wrack has long been used as a variant of rack, and numerous fine writers have avowedly wracked their brains or found something nerve-wracking.

Is it racked or wracked with pain?

Some guides feel that "racked with pain" is the preferable choice, although wrack is in many cases an acceptable variant. The verbs are often conflated despite their very different origins (the former from Middle Dutch rekken, meaning "to stretch," and the latter from the Middle English word for shipwreck, wrak).

"Do you rack up or wrack up debts?"

While there are a number of settings in which wrack is considered an acceptable variant of rack, the accumulation of debts is not one of them. In this context rack up typically means "to achieve, score; to accumulate."

Synonyms

Noun (5)

• bed
• bunk
• doss [chiefly British]
• hay [slang]
• kip
• lair [British dialect]
• pad
• sack

Verb (3)

• afflict
• agonize
• anguish
• bedevil
• beset
• besiege
• curse
• excruciate
• harrow
• persecute
• plague
• torment
• torture

Choose the Right Synonym for rack

afflict, try, torment, torture, rack mean to inflict on a person something that is hard to bear.

afflict is a general term and applies to the causing of pain or suffering or of acute annoyance, embarrassment, or any distress.

ills that afflict the elderly

try suggests imposing something that strains the powers of endurance or of self-control.

children often try their parents' patience

torment suggests persecution or the repeated inflicting of suffering or annoyance.

a horse tormented by flies

torture adds the implication of causing unbearable pain or suffering.

tortured by a sense of guilt

rack stresses straining or wrenching.

a body racked by pain

Examples of rack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Glinda offers a not-so-warm welcome to her new roommate by offering her a tiny space to sleep behind a clothing rack stuffed full with pink frocks. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

Eunice Fried, 94, wrote ‘What Every Woman Should Know About Wine’ to teach women to take charge of the bottle NEW YORK — No fewer than six bottles of champagne nestle in Eunice Fried’s refrigerator, and several dozen other bottles of wine fill a 6-foot-tall rack by the front door. —Kristen Hartke, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

In an April 6 Instagram post, Ireland shared a picture of the issue on a rack filled with other vintage Playboy magazines. —Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024

In a nearby dressing room, filled with costumes on racks and wigs on shelves, Byers adheres false eyelashes, coats her lips with a deep burgundy lipstick and adjusts her wig. —Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024

The large data centers that are needed to train giant AI algorithms typically consist of racks filled with tens of thousands of computers running specialized silicon chips and a spaghetti of mostly electrical connections between them. —Will Knight, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024

Cooking methods Steaming: Put the asparagus on a rack or in a basket suspended over simmering water in a pot with the lid on. —Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024

Most of the stores display clothing on racks, and everything is individually priced. —Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2024

Remove cake layers from cake pans, and place on wire racks; let cool completely, about 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes. —Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024

Verb

Photographers are likely to opt for nonlinear focus, in which slower turns make fine adjustments and quicker ones rack across the focus range more aggressively. —PCMAG, 28 Mar. 2024

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024

Cover the ham and rack with aluminum foil to keep in moisture. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2024

Step 2: Remove the lower dishwasher rack or roll out of the way. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2024

Jose Gutierrez Ojeda initially brandished a pistol and appeared to rack the firearm to chamber a round. —John Molseed, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2024

Eurydice, racked with hunger, stumbles into a Bourbon Street nightclub where waiter/songwriter/lyre-player Orpheus is smitten immediately. —Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024

But running these kinds of reports requires special kinds of data center facilities with very high-density racks which have the capability to substantially increase computing power per square foot or rack. —Judith Magyar, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

Maximize storage space while keeping your home tidy with this Simple Houseware shoe rack that more than 9,000 shoppers bought in the last month alone. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch rec framework; akin to Old English reccan to stretch, Greek oregein — more at right

Noun (2)

perhaps from rack entry 1

Noun (3)

alteration of wrack

Verb (2)

probably alteration of rock entry 1

Noun (5)

Middle English rak rain cloud, rapid movement

Verb (4)

Middle English rakken, from Old French (Norman & Picard dialect) reequier, probably from Late Latin reaedificare to rebuild, repair, improve, from Latin re- + aedificare to build — more at edify

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Noun (2)

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (3)

1592, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun (5)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1590, in the meaning defined above

Verb (4)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rack

• go to rack and ruin
• off-the-rack
• rack rent
• rack one's brain
• rack-renter
• the rack
• rack railway
• rack up
• luggage rack
• towel rack
• dish rack
• spice rack
• fly off the rack
• roof rack
• re-rack
• on the rack

Kids Definition

rack

1 of 4 noun

ˈrak 

1

: a framework for holding fodder for livestock

2

: an instrument of torture on which a body is stretched

3

: a framework or stand on or in which articles are placed

hat rack

bicycle rack

4

: a bar with teeth on one side for fitting together with those of a pinion

5

: a pair of antlers

rack

2 of 4 verb

1

: to cause to suffer torture, pain, sorrow, or ruin

racked by a cough

2

: to stretch or strain violently

racked his brains for the answer

3

: to place (as pool balls) in a rack

rack

3 of 4 noun

: either of two gaits of a horse:

a

: pace sense 2b

b

: a fast showy gait similar to the pace but in which the feet of the same side do not touch down at the same time

rack

4 of 4 noun

: a cut of meat from a lamb or pig that includes some of the rib section