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

Derived 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

Adam Rafter, 26, who has a university science degree in Ireland, said he has fruitlessly applied to more than 300 local jobs since moving to the Boston suburbs in August.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

"The crowd could be tough on Djokovic," said Australian former world number one Pat Rafter.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025

Play on outside courts was interrupted by rain for a second consecutive day but went ahead in the covered Pat Rafter Arena.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2024

“The last couple years that I played before I had my daughter, I didn’t return as much love as I was given,” she told the crowd at Pat Rafter Arena.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 2023

"Ye-ew bate," drawled Rafter, who was one of the searching party, with his two companions, "I've got a word ter say, by silo, ter ther boy who used my name."

From The Border Boys Across the Frontier by Goldfrap, John Henry

Related Words

• beam