rack

Q: 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.

Q: "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."

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noun (1)

ˈrak

Synonyms of rack next

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

: an instrument of torture on which a body is stretched

a(1)

: a cause of anguish or pain

(2)

: acute suffering

: the action of straining or wrenching

: 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)

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

: a pair of antlers

: bed, sack

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

also : the balls as set up

: a framework for holding fodder for livestock

rackful

ˈrak-ˌfu̇l

noun

rack

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verb (1)

racked; racking; racks

transitive verb

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

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

: to stretch or strain violently

: to raise (rents) oppressively

: to harass or oppress with high rents or extortions

: to torture on the rack

: to work or treat (material) on a rack

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

rack a camera

: 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

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noun (2)

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

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

rack

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noun (3)

: destruction

rack and ruin

rack

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noun (4)

: either of two gaits of a horse:

: pace sense 4b

: 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

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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."

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Let loaf cool in pan 10 minutes, then use parchment to transfer to wire rack to cool completely. —

Joy Cho, Good Housekeeping, 16 May 2023 Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. —

America's Test Kitchen, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2023 There were also racks of new Nokia and Microsoft equipment and Dell computers. —

Cecilia Kang, New York Times, 9 May 2023 Set the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. —

Sally Pasley Vargas, BostonGlobe.com, 9 May 2023 Yesterday, Tesla teased a new accessory for the Cybertruck: a tool rack that attaches to the bed of the electric pickup truck. —

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 9 May 2023 On racks behind the school, there are enough bicycles, unicycles and inline skates for every student. —

Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2023 How to Do It: Set up blocks or a power rack so the bar is at mid-shin to knee height (or higher). —

Andrew Heffernan, Men's Health, 4 May 2023 Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert the pans onto the racks, lift off the pans, turn the layers right side up, and let cool completely. —

Sophie Dweck, townandcountrymag.com, 24 Apr. 2023

Verb

The catcher homered in his first three at-bats, racking it all up by the fifth inning. —

Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 16 May 2023 Place steaks on grill rack over heat—cover and grill as directed above. —

Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2023 Once recovered, John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) is racked with guilt and stops at nothing to honor his debt to Ahmed and his family. —

Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2023 There was no dressing room, just a clothes rack and hangers off to one side. —

Madeleine Aggeler, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2023 The unrest that has racked Israel since the coalition launched its courts project showed no signs of easing. —

Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2023 Major conflict and violence would continue to rack the country. —

Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2023 Turns out running a wax museum can help rack in the big bucks. —

Vulture, 11 Mar. 2023 Here’s how to make Eggs Kejriwal: Turn on your broiler and set the oven rack a few inches below the heating element. —

Smitha Menon, Bon Appétit, 11 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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)