raft

¹ American  

[raft, rahft] / ræft, rɑft /

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.

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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 American  

[raft, rahft] / ræft, rɑft /

noun

Informal.

1. a great quantity; a lot.

   a whole raft of trouble.

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raft ¹ British  

/ 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

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verb

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

raft ² British  

/ rɑːft /

noun

1. informal a large collection or amount

   a raft of old notebooks discovered in a cupboard

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Other Word Forms

• rafting noun

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

“Did you bring the rafts? Are you ready to play? Get ’em ready and get ’em in so we can play, Ida B,” said the brook, ignoring my question.

From Literature

He would lash some saplings together and make a raft.

From Literature

And a World War I museum in Missouri had a raft of historic documents it needed to digitize.

From Salon

He said the government needed to introduce an "anti-corruption commission" with "powers to seize assets", among a raft of other measures to clear up public life.

From BBC

The ban, which still needs parliamentary approval, is part of a raft of changes that include making company executives responsible for "illegal or harmful content" on their platforms.

From BBC

Related Words

• barge
• boat
• life raft
• lifeboat