rake

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: an implement equipped with projecting prongs to gather material (such as leaves) or for loosening or smoothing the surface of the ground
b
: a machine for gathering hay
2
: an implement like a rake

rake

2 of 5

verb (1)

raked; raking

transitive verb

1
: to gather, loosen, or smooth with or as if with a rake
rake leaves into a pile
2
: to gain rapidly or in abundance
usually used with in
rake in a fortune
3
a
: to touch in passing over lightly
4
: to censure severely
5
: to search through : ransack
6
: to sweep the length of especially with gunfire : enfilade
7
: to glance over rapidly
raker noun

rake

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
: inclination from the perpendicular
especially : the overhang of a ship's bow or stern
2
: inclination from the horizontal : slope
3
: the angle between the top cutting surface of a tool and a plane perpendicular to the surface of the work

rake

4 of 5

verb (2)

raked; raking

intransitive verb

: to incline from the perpendicular

rake

5 of 5

noun (3)

: a dissolute person : libertine

Examples of rake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Technique Armed with just a common rake, Nik works in concentric circles from the base of each tree outwards. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023 Rug rakes are a popular option for digging deep into the pile, but some are too aggressive and can damage your rug over time. Jandra Sutton, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023 Hand rakes are small, handheld rakes designed to get in and around small spaces. Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 But a leaf blower can make the task somewhat fun—or, at the very least, much quicker than using a rake. Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 11 Aug. 2023 Our list includes primarily leaf rakes, hand rakes, and shrub rakes. Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 On the second floor, framed drawings of Sal McCloskey and her mother hung on a wall near Curtis’s library of things, which includes a pickleball set, a food processor, a scanner — and, yes, a blueberry rake. Elisabeth Egan, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023 Govier briefly left the snake to grab a shovel and a rake from the garage, per the outlet. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 21 Aug. 2023 In order to jam nearly 18,000 seats into a ball, the designers had to insert the stands at a very steep rake; as a result, the clearance between seats is very narrow. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2023
Verb
The entire Smallbone family then bands together to help keep the family financially afloat, shown raking leaves and doing yardwork together to make money. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023 Gabriel also considered his personal experience gleaned from years of raking for hire as a youth. Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 Although these private schools stayed on top, the rankings of many public universities, many of which were raked considerably low in years prior, jump up the ranks — CUNY-City College was formerly ranked 151 and now its 105, Rubin said. Maggie Scales, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023 My first glimpse of Mongolia was of rolling hills draped in thin emerald grass, of cloud shadows the size of lakes and of raking beams of morning light breaking through a heavy sky. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 In addition to raking the traps, the greenskeeper at the country club also hired McConaughey to hunt the armadillos that were wreaking havoc on the greens of the golf course. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023 An alternative to raking leaves is to mulch the leaves into the lawn, or use a lawnmower fitted with a collection bag or vacuum system. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023 Wear them while weeding, raking, planting, thatching, and scooping debris into yard waste bags to avoid punctures, scratches, splinters, and dirty fingernails. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2023 His chief duties are watering and raking the soil, to keep its color consistent. Samantha Henig, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rake.' 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, from Old English racu; akin to Old High German rehho rake

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

short for rakehell

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1691, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1687, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near rake

Cite this Entry

“Rake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rake. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

rake

1 of 3 noun
1
: a garden tool with a long handle and prongs at the end
2
: a machine for gathering hay

rake

2 of 3 verb
raked; raking
1
: to gather, loosen, or smooth with or as if with a rake
rake leaves
raking in money
2
a
: to touch in passing over lightly
3
: to search through : ransack
rake the records for evidence
4
: to sweep the length of with or as if with gunfire
raker noun

rake

3 of 3 noun
Etymology

Noun

Old English racu "a tool for gathering up grass or straw"

Noun

a shortened form of earlier rakehell (same meaning)

More from Merriam-Webster on rake

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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