raft

¹

[ raft, rahft ]

noun

1. a more or less rigid floating platform made of buoyant material or materials:

   an inflatable rubber raft.

2. a collection of logs, planks, casks, etc., fastened together for floating on water.
3. life raft.
4. Building Trades. a slab of reinforced concrete providing a footing on yielding soil, usually for a whole building, so that the weight of the soil that would be displaced by the settlement of the building exceeds the weight of the building itself; mat.

verb (used with object)

1. to transport on a raft.
2. to form (logs or the like) into a raft.
3. to travel or cross by raft.
4. (of an ice floe) to transport (embedded organic or rock debris) from the shore out to sea.

verb (used without object)

1. to use a raft; go or travel on a raft.
2. (of an ice floe) to overlap another ice floe.

raft

²

[ raft, rahft ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a great quantity; a lot:

   a whole raft of trouble.

raft

¹

/ rɑːft /

noun

1. a buoyant platform of logs, planks, etc, used as a vessel or moored platform
2. a thick slab of reinforced concrete laid over soft ground to provide a foundation for a building

verb

1. to convey on or travel by raft, or make a raft from

raft

²

/ rɑːft /

noun

1. informal.
   a large collection or amount

   a raft of old notebooks discovered in a cupboard

Derived Forms

• ˈrafting, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of raft¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English raft(e), “(wooden) beam, spear,” from Old Norse raptr rafter ¹

Origin of raft²

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; variant of raff

Word History and Origins

Origin of raft¹

C15: from Old Norse raptr rafter

Origin of raft²

C19: from raff

Example Sentences

The acoustic measurement data were collected with a custom-designed recording raft or during the winter from the lake ice.

From Science Daily

In 2006, he admitted to an affair with his former secretary Tracey Temple, which led to a raft of lurid stories.

From BBC

It comes as Instagram has announced a raft of new features aimed at improving the wellbeing of people on the platform, with safety features in October following new teen accounts launched in September.

From BBC

Each year, starting around Thanksgiving, culture vultures get to unwrap an early present: a raft of films, TV shows, concerts and more that fill the calendar through the end of the season.

From Los Angeles Times

Spolin worked for the Bronx district attorney’s office before moving to L.A. and launching a practice focused on representing inmates under a raft of laws meant to reduce mass incarceration.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• barge
• boat
• life raft
• lifeboat