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rafter

1
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]
/ ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /
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noun

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)

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

RELATED WORDS

pole, strip, bail, timber, bolster, scaffolding, stanchion, prop, trestle, pile, boom, stud, spar, brace, girder, balk, joist, reach, strut, axle

Nearby words

  1. rafinesque,
  2. rafraîchissoir,
  3. rafsanjani,
  4. raft,
  5. raft ice,
  6. rafting,
  7. raftsman,
  8. rafvr,
  9. rag,
  10. rag bolt

Origin of rafter

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English rǣfter; cognate with Middle Low German rafter, Old Norse raptr. See raft1
Related formsun·raf·tered, adjective

Definition for rafter (2 of 3)

rafter

2
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]
/ ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

a person who engages in the sport or pastime of rafting.
a person who travels on a raft, especially to flee a country.

Definition for rafter (3 of 3)

rafter

3
[ raf-ter, rahf- ]
/ ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

a flock, especially of turkeys.

Origin of rafter

3
raft2 + -er1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for rafter

British Dictionary definitions for rafter

rafter

/ (ˈrɑːftə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for rafter

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

Word Origin and History for rafter

rafter

n.

"sloping timber of a roof," Old English ræftras (West Saxon), reftras (Mercian), both plural, related to Old Norse raptr "log," from Proto-Germanic *raf-tra-, from PIE *rap-tro-, from root *rep- "stake, beam."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper