rafter

1
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]
See synonyms for: rafterraftered on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of rafter

1
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 raft1

Other words from rafter

  • raf·tered, adjective
  • un·raf·tered, adjective

Words Nearby rafter

Other definitions for rafter (2 of 3)

rafter2
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]

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.

Origin of rafter

2
First recorded in 1740–45; raft1 + -er1

Other definitions for rafter (3 of 3)

rafter3
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]

noun
  1. a flock, especially of turkeys.

Origin of rafter

3

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rafter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rafter

rafter

/ (ˈrɑːftə) /


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

Origin of rafter

1
Old English ræfter; related to Old Saxon rehter, Old Norse raptr, Old High German rāvo; see raft 1

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