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View synonyms for

raft

1

[ raft, rahft ]

noun

  1. a more or less rigid floating platform made of buoyant material or materials:

    an inflatable rubber raft.

  2. a collection of logs, planks, casks, etc., fastened together for floating on water.
  3. Building Trades. a slab of reinforced concrete providing a footing on yielding soil, usually for a whole building, so that the weight of the soil that would be displaced by the settlement of the building exceeds the weight of the building itself; mat.


verb (used with object)

  1. to transport on a raft.
  2. to form (logs or the like) into a raft.
  3. to travel or cross by raft.
  4. (of an ice floe) to transport (embedded organic or rock debris) from the shore out to sea.

verb (used without object)

  1. to use a raft; go or travel on a raft.
  2. (of an ice floe) to overlap another ice floe.

raft

2

[ raft, rahft ]

noun

Informal.
  1. a great quantity; a lot:

    a whole raft of trouble.

raft

1

/ ɑːڳ /

noun

  1. a buoyant platform of logs, planks, etc, used as a vessel or moored platform
  2. a thick slab of reinforced concrete laid over soft ground to provide a foundation for a building
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to convey on or travel by raft, or make a raft from
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

raft

2

/ ɑːڳ /

noun

  1. informal.
    a large collection or amount

    a raft of old notebooks discovered in a cupboard

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈڳپԲ, noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of raft1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English raft(e), “(wooden) beam, spear,” from Old Norse raptr rafter 1

Origin of raft2

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; variant of raff
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Word History and Origins

Origin of raft1

C15: from Old Norse raptr rafter

Origin of raft2

C19: from raff
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Among the raft of new rules implemented since January is a requirement that families provide proof of their income source, show a U.S. identification and in many cases take a DNA test.

From

On Wednesday evening Delhi announced a raft of diplomatic measures against Islamabad in light of the killings in Kashmir - one of them was shutting the Attari-Wagah border between the two countries immediately.

From

During subsequent performances, spectators took in the music from boats and rafts on the water.

From

Race Across the World resumes on Wednesday, with a new raft of contestants heading this time from north eastern China to the southernmost tip of India.

From

In a nod to our differences, on Valentine’s Day I went on the morning elephant encounter and he went on the river rafting trip.

From

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