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View synonyms for raft

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. 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to convey on or travel by raft, or make a raft from
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

raft

2

/ rɑːft /

noun

  1. informal.
    a large collection or amount

    a raft of old notebooks discovered in a cupboard

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈrafting, noun
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of raft1

C15: from Old Norse raptr rafter

Origin of raft2

C19: from raff
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Example Sentences

There are a few studies, such as on the toxicity of plastics, changes in habitats and ecosystems and rafting of species.

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.

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.

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