rafter

1 of 2

noun (1)

raf·​ter ˈraf-tər How to pronounce rafter (audio)
: any of the parallel beams that support a roof
raftered adjective

rafter

2 of 2

noun (2)

raft·​er ˈraf-tər How to pronounce rafter (audio)
1
: one who maneuvers logs into position and binds them into rafts
2
: one who travels by raft

Examples of rafter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Jim Larrañaga's name now hangs from the rafters at the University of Miami. CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026 Performers dance onstage, festoon the rafters overhead and cavort throughout the room in a 90-minute extravaganza. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026 The rest hangs in the United Center rafters. Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026 Thankfully, at that moment, the one survivor who escaped the Jimmies' clutches, a pregnant woman named Cathy (Mirren Mack) who has been hiding in the rafters watching these horrors unfold, unhitches a large hook that swings down and impales Jimmima in the back of the head. Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rafter

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ræfter; akin to Old Norse raptr rafter

Noun (2)

raft entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rafter was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rafter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rafter. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

rafter

noun
raf·​ter
ˈraf-tər
: one of the usually sloping timbers that support a roof
raftered
-tərd
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on rafter

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