I. ˈrak noun
Etymology: Middle English rak rain cloud, rapid movement
Date: 14th century
: a wind-driven mass of high often broken clouds
II. intransitive verb
Date: 1590
: to fly or scud in high wind
III. noun
Etymology: Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch rec framework; akin to Old English reccan to stretch, Greek oregein — more at right
Date: 14th century
1. : a framework for holding fodder for livestock
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 framework, stand, or grating on or in which articles are placed
5.
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
6. : a pair of antlers
7. : a triangular frame used to set up the balls in a pool game ; also : the balls as set up
8. : bed , sack
• rack·ful -ˌfu̇l noun
•
- on the rack
IV. verb
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1. : to torture on the rack
2. : to cause to suffer torture, pain, anguish, or ruin
rack ed with jealousy
a company rack ed by infighting
3.
a. : to stretch or strain violently
rack ed his brains
b. : to raise (rents) oppressively
c. : to harass or oppress with high rents or extortions
4. : to work or treat (material) on a rack
5. : to work by a rack and pinion or worm so as to extend or contract
rack a camera
6. : to seize (as parallel ropes of a tackle) together
7. : to place (as pool balls) in a rack
intransitive verb
: to become forced out of shape or out of plumb
Synonyms: see afflict
• rack·er noun
• rack·ing·ly ˈra-kiŋ-lē adverb
V. transitive verb
Etymology: 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
Date: 15th century
: to draw off (as wine) from the lees
VI. intransitive verb
Etymology: probably alteration of rock (I)
Date: 1530
of a horse : to go at a rack
VII. noun
Date: 1580
: either of two gaits of a horse:
a. : pace 4b
b. : a fast showy 4-beat gait
VIII. noun
Etymology: perhaps from rack (III)
Date: 1570
1. : the neck and spine of a forequarter of veal, pork, or especially mutton
2. : the rib section of a lamb's forequarters used for chops or as a roast — see lamb illustration
IX. noun
Etymology: alteration of wrack
Date: 1592
: destruction
rack and ruin