GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English
last match results
Found 10 definitions
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Rack (răk), n. Same as Arrack.
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Rack, n. [AS. hracca neck, hinder part of the head; cf. AS. hraca throat, G. rachen throat, E. retch.] The neck and spine of a fore quarter of veal or mutton.
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Rack, n. [See Wreck.] A wreck; destruction. [Obs., except in a few phrases.]
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Rack and ruin, destruction; utter ruin. [Colloq.] -- To go to rack, to perish; to be destroyed. [Colloq.] “All goes to rack.” Pepys.
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Rack, n. [Prob. fr. Icel. rek drift, motion, and akin to reka to drive, and E. wrack, wreck. √282.] Thin, flying, broken clouds, or any portion of floating vapor in the sky. Shak.
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The winds in the upper region, which move the clouds above, which we call the rack, . . . pass without noise. Bacon.
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And the night rack came rolling up. C. Kingsley.
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Rack, v. i. To fly, as vapor or broken clouds.
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Rack, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Racked (răkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Racking.] [See Rack that which stretches, or Rock, v.] To amble fast, causing a rocking or swaying motion of the body; to pace; -- said of a horse. Fuller.
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Rack, n. A fast amble.
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Rack, v. t. [Cf. OF. vin raqué wine squeezed from the dregs of the grapes.] To draw off from the lees or sediment, as wine.
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It is in common practice to draw wine or beer from the lees (which we call racking), whereby it will clarify much the sooner. Bacon.
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Rack vintage, wine cleansed and drawn from the lees. Cowell.
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Rack, n. [Probably fr. D. rek, rekbank, a rack, rekken to stretch; akin to G. reck, reckbank, a rack, recken to stretch, Dan. række, Sw. räcka, Icel. rekja to spread out, Goth. refrakjan to stretch out; cf. L. porrigere, Gr. ὀρέγειν. √115. Cf. Right, a., Ratch.]
1. An instrument or frame used for stretching, extending, retaining, or displaying, something. Specifically: (a) An engine of torture, consisting of a large frame, upon which the body was gradually stretched until, sometimes, the joints were dislocated; -- formerly used judicially for extorting confessions from criminals or suspected persons.
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During the troubles of the fifteenth century, a rack was introduced into the Tower, and was occasionally used under the plea of political necessity. Macaulay.
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(b) An instrument for bending a bow. (c) A grate on which bacon is laid. (d) A frame or device of various construction for holding, and preventing the waste of, hay, grain, etc., supplied to beasts. (e) A frame on which articles are deposited for keeping or arranged for display; as, a clothes rack; a bottle rack, etc. (f) (Naut.) A piece or frame of wood, having several sheaves, through which the running rigging passes; -- called also rack block. Also, a frame to hold shot. (g) (Mining) A frame or table on which ores are separated or washed. (h) A frame fitted to a wagon for carrying hay, straw, or grain on the stalk, or other bulky loads. (i) A distaff.
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2. (Mech.) A bar with teeth on its face, or edge, to work with those of a wheel, pinion, or worm, which is to drive it or be driven by it.
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3. That which is extorted; exaction. [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys.
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Mangle rack. (Mach.) See under Mangle. n. -- Rack block. (Naut.) See def. 1 (f), above. -- Rack lashing, a lashing or binding where the rope is tightened, and held tight by the use of a small stick of wood twisted around. -- Rack rail (Railroads), a toothed rack, laid as a rail, to afford a hold for teeth on the driving wheel of a locomotive for climbing steep gradients, as in ascending a mountain. -- Rack saw, a saw having wide teeth. -- Rack stick, the stick used in a rack lashing. -- To be on the rack, to suffer torture, physical or mental. -- To live at rack and manger, to live on the best at another's expense. [Colloq.] -- To put to the rack, to subject to torture; to torment.
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A fit of the stone puts a king to the rack, and makes him as miserable as it does the meanest subject. Sir W. Temple.
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Rack (răk), v. t.
1. To extend by the application of force; to stretch or strain; specifically, to stretch on the rack or wheel; to torture by an engine which strains the limbs and pulls the joints.
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He was racked and miserably tormented. Foxe.
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2. To torment; to torture; to affect with extreme pain or anguish.
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Vaunting aloud but racked with deep despair. Milton.
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3. To stretch or strain, in a figurative sense; hence, to harass, or oppress by extortion.
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The landlords there shamefully rack their tenants. Spenser.
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They [landlords] rack their rents an ace too high. Gascoigne.
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Grant that I may never rack a Scripture simile beyond the true intent thereof. Fuller.
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Try what my credit can in Venice do;
That shall be racked even to the uttermost. Shak.
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4. (Mining) To wash on a rack, as metals or ore.
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5. (Naut.) To bind together, as two ropes, with cross turns of yarn, marline, etc.
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To rack one's brains or To rack one's brains out or To rack one's wits, to exert one's thinking processes to the utmost for the purpose of accomplishing something; as, “I racked my brains out trying to find a way to solve the problem”.
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Syn. -- To torture; torment; rend; tear.
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