Hypertext Webster Gateway: "raft"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Raft \Raft\, obs.
imp. & p. p. of {Reave}. --Spenser.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Raft \Raft\, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr
a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar;
cf. OHG. r[=a]fo, r[=a]vo, a beam, rafter, Icel. r[=a]f roof.
Cf. {Rafter}, n.]
1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the
like, fastened, together, either for their own collective
conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in
conveying other things; a float.
2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is
formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which
obstructs navigation. [U.S.]
3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.] A large collection of
people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.]
``A whole raft of folks.'' --W. D. Howells.
{Raft bridge}.
(a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts.
(b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened
together.
{Raft duck}. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense
flocks.] (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also
{flock duck}. See {Scaup}.
(b) The redhead.
{Raft port} (Naut.), a large, square port in a vessel's side
for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a
timber or lumber port.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Raft \Raft\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rafted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Rafting}.]
To transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make
into a raft; as, to raft timber.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Reave \Reave\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Reaved}, {Reft}, or
{Raft}(obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Reaving}.] [AS. re['a]fian,
from re['a]f spoil, plunder, clothing, re['o]fan to break
(cf. bire['o]fan to deprive of); akin to G. rauben to rob,
Icel. raufa to rob, rj[=u]fa to break, violate, Goth.
bir['a]ubon to despoil, L. rumpere to break; cf. Skr. lup to
break. [root]114. Cf. {Bereave}, {Rob}, v. t., {Robe},
{Rove}, v. t., {Rupture}.]
To take away by violence or by stealth; to snatch away; to
rob; to despoil; to bereave. [Archaic]. ``To reave his
life.'' --Spenser.
He golden apples raft of the dragon. --Chaucer.
By privy stratagem my life at home. --Chapman.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
raft
n 1: a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be
used for transport or as a platform for swimmers
2: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent:
"a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of
money"; "he made a mint on the stock market"; "it must
have cost plenty" [syn: {batch}, {deal}, {flock}, {good
deal}, {great deal}, {hatful}, {heap}, {lot}, {mass}, {mess},
{mickle}, {mint}, {muckle}, {peck}, {pile}, {plenty}, {pot},
{quite a little}, {sight}, {slew}, {spate}, {stack}, {tidy
sum}, {wad}, {whole lot}, {whole slew}]
v 1: transport on a raft; "raft wood down a river"
2: travel by raft in water; "Raft the Colorado River"
3: make into a raft; "raft these logs"
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.