rack

rack¹ (r

a. A framework or stand in or on which to hold, hang, or display various articles: a trophy rack; a rack for baseball bats in the dugout; a drying rack for laundry.

b. Games A triangular frame for arranging billiard or pool balls at the start of a game.

c. A receptacle for livestock feed.

d. A frame for holding bombs in an aircraft.

2. Slang A bunk; a bed.

3. A toothed bar that meshes with a gearwheel, pinion, or other toothed machine part.

a. A state of intense anguish.

b. A cause of intense anguish.

5. An instrument of torture on which the victim's body was stretched.

6. A pair of antlers.

tr.v. racked, rack·ing, racks

1. To place (billiard balls, for example) in a rack.

2. To cause great physical or mental suffering to: Pain racked his entire body. See Synonyms at afflict.

3. To torture by means of the rack.

Phrasal Verbs:

rack out Slang

To go to sleep or get some sleep.

rack up Informal

To accumulate or score: rack up points.

Idiom:

on the rack

Under great stress.

[Middle English rakke, probably from Middle Dutch rec, framework; see reg- in Indo-European roots.]

racker n.

rack² (r

A fast, flashy, four-beat gait of a horse in which each foot touches the ground separately and at equal intervals.

intr.v. racked, rack·ing, racks

To go or move in a rack.

[Origin unknown.]

rack³ (r

A thin mass of wind-driven clouds.

intr.v. racked, rack·ing, racks

To be driven by the wind; scud: low clouds racking by.

[Middle English rak, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish rak, wreckage.]

rack⁴ (r

Variant of wrack¹.

rack⁵ (r

n. & v.

Variant of wrack².

rack⁶ (r

tr.v. racked, rack·ing, racks

To drain (wine or cider) from the dregs.

[Middle English rakken, from Old Provençal arracar, from raca, stems and husks of grapes.]

rack ¹

Noun

1. a framework for holding particular articles, such as coats or luggage

2. a straight bar with teeth on its edge, to work with a cogwheel

3. the rack History an instrument of torture that stretched the body of the victim

Verb

1. to cause great suffering to: Germany was racked by food riots

2. rack one's brains to try very hard to think of something [probably from Middle Dutch rec framework]

USAGE: See at wrack¹.

rack ²

Noun

go to rack and ruin to be destroyed through neglect [variant of wrack¹]

rack ³

Verb

to clear (wine or beer) by siphoning it off from the dregs

rack ⁴

Noun

the neck or rib part of a joint of meat

Rack a rush or shock.

Examples: rack of clouds (thin-flying, broken clouds), 1626; of water (a sudden rush), 1513.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	rack - framework for holding objects barbecue, barbeque - a rack to hold meat for cooking over hot charcoal usually out of doors bicycle rack - a rack for parking bicycles carrier - a rack attached to a vehicle; for carrying luggage or skis or the like coat rack, coatrack, hatrack - a rack with hooks for temporarily holding coats and hats dish rack - a rack for holding dishes as dishwater drains off of them framework - a structure supporting or containing something hayrack - a rack that holds hay for feeding livestock pipe rack - a rack for holding a smoker's pipes plate rack - a rack for holding plates to dry after they have been washed tie rack - a rack for storing ties toastrack - a rack for holding slices of toast towel horse, towel rack - a rack consisting of one or more bars on which towels can be hung
	2.	rack - rib section of a forequarter of veal or pork or especially lamb or mutton cut of meat, cut - a piece of meat that has been cut from an animal carcass crown roast, rack of lamb - a roast of the rib section of lamb
	3.	rack - the destruction or collapse of something; "wrack and ruin" wrack demolition, wipeout, destruction - an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something
	4.	rack - an instrument of torture that stretches or disjoints or mutilates victims wheel instrument of torture - an instrument of punishment designed and used to inflict torture on the condemned person
	5.	rack - a support for displaying various articles; "the newspapers were arranged on a rack" stand bier - a stand to support a corpse or a coffin prior to burial cruet-stand - a stand for cruets containing various condiments dress rack - a rack used primarily to display dresses for sale in a store magazine rack - a rack for displaying magazines music rack, music stand - a light stand for holding sheets of printed music spice rack - a rack for displaying containers filled with spices spit - a skewer for holding meat over a fire support - any device that bears the weight of another thing; "there was no place to attach supports for a shelf" tripod - a three-legged rack used for support
	6.	rack - a form of torture in which pain is inflicted by stretching the body torturing, torture - the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason; "it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession"
	7.	rack - a rapid gait of a horse in which each foot strikes the ground separately single-foot gait - a horse's manner of moving
Verb	1.	rack - go at a rack; "the horses single-footed" single-foot pace - go at a pace; "The horse paced"
	2.	rack - stretch to the limits; "rack one's brains" strain, stress, try - test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!"
	3.	rack - put on a rack and pinion; "rack a camera" put to work, work - cause to work; "he is working his servants hard"
	4.	rack - obtain by coercion or intimidation; "They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss"; "They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him" extort, gouge, wring, squeeze fleece, gazump, overcharge, plume, rob, soak, surcharge, hook, pluck - rip off; ask an unreasonable price bleed - get or extort (money or other possessions) from someone; "They bled me dry--I have nothing left!"
	5.	rack - run before a gale scud navigation, pilotage, piloting - the guidance of ships or airplanes from place to place sail - travel on water propelled by wind; "I love sailing, especially on the open sea"; "the ship sails on"
	6.	rack - fly in high wind fly, wing - travel through the air; be airborne; "Man cannot fly"
	7.	rack - draw off from the lees; "rack wine" draw, take out - take liquid out of a container or well; "She drew water from the barrel"
	8.	rack - torment emotionally or mentally excruciate, torment, torture anguish, pain, hurt - cause emotional anguish or make miserable; "It pains me to see my children not being taught well in school"
	9.	rack - work on a rack; "rack leather" work on, work, process - shape, form, or improve a material; "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal"
	10.	rack - seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block clutch, prehend, seize - take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals"
	11.	rack - torture on the rack excruciate, torture, torment - subject to torture; "The sinners will be tormented in Hell, according to the Bible"

rack

noun 1. frame, stand, structure, framework

verb 2. torture, distress, torment, harass, afflict, oppress, harrow, crucify, agonize, pain, excruciate

USAGE The use of the spelling wrack rather than rack in sentences such as she was wracked by grief or the country was wracked by civil war is very common, but is thought by many people to be incorrect.

Translations