rafter

¹ American  

[raf-ter, rahf-] / ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

1. any of a series of timbers or the like, usually having a pronounced slope, for supporting the sheathing and covering of a roof.

---

verb (used with object)

1. British Dialect. to plow (a field) so that the soil of a furrow is pushed over onto an unplowed adjacent strip.

rafter ² American  

[raf-ter, rahf-] / ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

1. a person who engages in the sport or pastime of rafting.

2. a person who travels on a raft, especially to flee a country.

---

rafter ³ American  

[raf-ter, rahf-] / ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

1. a flock, especially of turkeys.

---

rafter British  

/ ˈrɑːftə /

noun

1. any one of a set of sloping beams that form the framework of a roof

---

Other Word Forms

• raftered
  adjective
• unraftered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rafter¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English rafter, raftre, ræfter “beam, pole, rafter,” Old English ræfter; cognate with Middle Dutch rachter, rafter “plank, beam,” Middle Low German rafter, rachter, Old Norse raptr “log” (in plural, “rafters”); See raft ¹

Origin of rafter²

First recorded in 1740–45; raft ¹ ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Origin of rafter³

raft ² + -er ¹

Explanation

A rafter is a long board that supports the peak of a roof. If your bedroom is in the attic of your house, you can lie in bed staring up at the rafters. Rafters are a type of beam, a heavy supportive board that holds up whatever is above it in a building. Some make the distinction that rafters support a roof, while beams support heavier loads (such as the floor of an upper story in a house). Most rafters are made of wood, and sometimes they're left visible in the ceiling as a design element. The word comes from a root related the the Old Norse raptr, "log."

Example Sentences

Adam Rafter, 26, who has a university science degree in Ireland, said he has fruitlessly applied to more than 300 local jobs since moving to the Boston suburbs in August.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

"The crowd could be tough on Djokovic," said Australian former world number one Pat Rafter.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025

“A lot of things to improve, but a good start,” to the season, said Pliskova, who had her left wrist and hand taped for the opening match of the day on Pat Rafter Arena.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2024

Play on outside courts was interrupted by rain for a second consecutive day but went ahead in the covered Pat Rafter Arena.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2024

The Modillions represent the ends of the Sheers, and the Dentels represent the ends of the principal Rafter.

From An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius Containing a System of the Whole Works of that Author by Perrault, Claude

Related Words

• beam