raffle

1 of 3

verb

raf·​fle ˈra-fəl 

raffled; raffling ˈra-f(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: to engage in a raffle

transitive verb

: to dispose of by means of a raffle

raffle off a turkey

raffle

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a lottery in which the prize is won by one of numerous persons buying chances

raffle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: rubbish

especially : a jumble or tangle of nautical equipment

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• garbage
• debris
• truck
• trash
• junk
• rubbish
• dust
• litter

Examples of raffle in a Sentence

Noun (2)

the front lawn was littered with the raffle that the roofers had left behind

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Imelda Collins is raffling her house rather than sell it on the conventional market. —Michael Schwirtz Claire Fu Lana Bortolot Mairav Zonszein, New York Times, 21 May 2025

Baskets sitting on the covered stage were raffled off. —Peter Baugh, New York Times, 1 June 2025

Noun

Costello’s donates products to community raffles and fundraisers, allowing chosen charities to select any item in the store worth up to $100 for their events. —Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2025

Scrolling on social media, Santiago saw GoFundMe pages, raffles and other efforts to raise funds for the families affected by the raids. —Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English rafle, a dice game, from Middle French, dice game in which all the stakes can be won in a throw, literally, rake for a fire, from Middle High German raffel rake for a fire, from raffen to snatch, gather

Noun (2)

probably from French rafle act of snatching, sweeping, from Middle French, rake for a fire

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1680, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1709, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1543, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for raffle

• baffle

Kids Definition

raffle

1 of 2 verb

raf·​fle ˈraf-əl 

raffled; raffling ˈraf-(ə-)liŋ 

: to dispose of by a raffle

raffle off a turkey

raffle

2 of 2 noun

: the sale of chances for a prize whose winner is the one whose ticket is picked at a drawing