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rack

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
rack 1  (rk)
n.
1.
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.
4.
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.

rack 2  (rk)
n.
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.]

rack 3  (rk)
n.
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.]

rack 4  (rk)
n.
Variant of wrack1.

rack 5  (rk)
n. & v.
Variant of wrack2.

rack 6  (rk)
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 7  (rk)
n.
1.
a. A wholesale rib cut of lamb or veal between the shoulder and the loin.
b. A retail rib cut of lamb or veal, prepared for roasting or for rib chops.
2. The neck and upper spine of mutton, pork, or veal.

[Probably from rack.]

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
Noun1.rackrack - 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"
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
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"
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
gait - a horse's manner of moving
Verb1.rack - go at a rack; "the horses single-footed"
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"
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
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.rackrack - torment emotionally or mentally      
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
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
rack [ræk] n (also: luggage rack) → rejilla (portaequipajes) (= shelf); estante m (also: roof rack) → baca (= clothes rack); perchero
vt (= cause pain to) → atormentar;
to go to rack and ruin → venirse abajo;
to rack one's brains → devanarse los sesos
rack up vtconseguir, ganar

rack [ræk] n [for guns, tools] → râtelier m [for clothes]; portant m [for bottles]; casier m;
(also: luggage rack) → filet m à bagages;
(also: roof rack) → galerie f;
(also: dish rack) → égouttoir m
vttourmenter;
magazine rack → porte-revues m inv;
shoe rack → étagère f à chaussures;
toast rack → porte-toast m;
to rack one's brains → se creuser la cervelle;
to go to rack and ruin [building] → tomber en ruine; [business] → péricliter
rack up vtaccumuler

rack [ræk] n (also: luggage rack) → Gepäckablage f;
(also: roof rack) → Dachgepäckträger m;
(for dresses etc) → Ständer m;
(for dishes) → Gestell nt
vt racked by (pain etc) → gemartert von;
magazine/toast rack → Zeitungs-/Toastständer m;
to rack one's brains → sich dat den Kopf zerbrechen;
to go to rack and ruin (building) → zerfallen;
(business, country) → herunterkommen

rack [ræk] nrastrelliera;
(also: luggage rack) → rete f; portabagagli m inv (also: roof rack) → portabagagli
magazine rack → portariviste m inv;
shoe rack → scarpiera;
toast rack → portatoast m inv;
to go to rack and ruin [building] → andare in rovina; [business] → andare in malora or a catafascio;
to rack one's brains → scervellarsi
rack up vtaccumulare

rack1
n rack [rӕk]
a frame or shelf in or on which objects (eg letters, plates, luggage etc) are put until they are wanted or needed Put these tools back in the rack; Put your bag in the luggage-rack. rak رَف، حامِل خَشَبي стойка police, pult, regál stativ; -stativ; hylde; -hylde das Gestell σχάρα, ράφι estante riiul گیره؛ چنگک teline porte-outils; étagère; porte-bagages, etc. כּוֹנָן, מַתלֶה रैक vješalica, spremište állvány, (poggyász)tartó rak grind, hilla, standur scaffale 선반, 시렁 lentyna, regztis plaukts; nodalījums rak rek stativ; hylle, reol półka prateleira raft; etajeră; portbagaj стеллаж polica, regál polica polica ställ, hylla, hållare ชั้น raf 架, 行李架 полиця; стелаж سامان رکھنے کا خانہ giá; gác , 行李


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Finally, he insisted upon having a bowl of rack punch; everybody had rack punch at Vauxhall.
At the far side of the room a rack held the swords and firearms of the men.
ahab seized a loaded musket from the rack (forming part of most South-Sea-men's cabin furniture), and pointing it towards Starbuck, exclaimed: There is one God that is Lord over the earth, and one Captain that is lord over the Pequod.
 
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