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.

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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.

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rafter ³ American  

[raf-ter, rahf-] / ˈræf tər, ˈrɑf- /

noun

1. a flock, especially of turkeys.

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rafter British  

/ ˈrɑːftə /

noun

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

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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

I once had to use 1-inch diameter through bolts to secure rafter ties at the bottom of rafters on a steep 17/12 pitch roof.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 11, 2023

Earlier this year, I read a book called Built to Move, by Kelly Starrett, a physical therapist, and his wife, Juliet Starrett, a former attorney and world champion white-water rafter.

From Slate • Dec. 10, 2023

Former Miami mayor Tomás Regalado, a Radio Mambí reporter in the 1980s and ’90s, recalled covering the 1994 Cuban rafter crisis and two presidential administrations.

From Washington Post • Jun. 16, 2022

But the Tree House’s design — the unimpeded views, combined with a high rafter on the upper level — keep the place feeling roomy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2022

Lying on a rafter, I could see only the floor of the shed below.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

Related Words

• beam