Part 26

Pas could not stay, but over him did rake.

Sir P. Sidney.

Rake, n. [Cf. dial. Sw. raka to reach, and E. reach.] The inclination of anything from a perpendicular direction; as, the rake of a roof, a staircase, etc.; especially (Naut.), the inclination of a mast or funnel, or, in general, of any part of a vessel not perpendicular to the keel.

Rake, v. i. To incline from a perpendicular direction; as, a mast rakes aft.

Raking course (Bricklaying), a course of bricks laid diagonally between the face courses in a thick wall, to strengthen it.

Rake, n. [OE. rakel rash; cf. Icel. reikall wandering, unsettled, reika to wander.] A loose, disorderly, vicious man; a person addicted to lewdness and other scandalous vices; a debauchee; a roué.

An illiterate and frivolous old rake.

Macaulay.

Rake, v. i. 1. [Icel. reika. Cf. Rake a debauchee.] To walk about; to gad or ramble idly. [Prov. Eng.]

2. [See Rake a debauchee.] To act the rake; to lead a dissolute, debauched life. Shenstone.

To rake out (Falconry), to fly too far and wide from its master while hovering above waiting till the game is sprung; -- said of the hawk. Encyc. Brit.

Rake"hell` (rk"hl`), n. [See Rakel.] A lewd, dissolute fellow; a debauchee; a rake.

It seldom doth happen, in any way of life, that a sluggard and a rakehell do not go together.

Barrow.

{ Rake"hell`, Rake"hell`y (-), } a. Dissolute; wild; lewd; rakish. [Obs.] Spenser. B. Jonson.

Ra"kel (rä"kl), a. [OE. See Rake a debauchee.] Hasty; reckless; rash. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Ra"kel*ness, n. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Rak"er (rk"r), n. [See 1st Rake.] 1. One who, or that which, rakes; as: (a) A person who uses a rake. (b) A machine for raking grain or hay by horse or other power. (c) A gun so placed as to rake an enemy's ship.

2. (Zoöl.) See Gill rakers, under 1st Gill.

Rak"er*y (-), n. Debauchery; lewdness.

The rakery and intrigues of the lewd town.

R. North.

Rake"shame` (rk"shm`), n. [Cf. Rakehell, Ragabash.] A vile, dissolute wretch. [Obs.] Milton.

Rake"stale` (-stl`), n. [Rake the instrument + stale a handle.] The handle of a rake.

That tale is not worth a rakestele.

Chaucer.

Rake"-vein` (-vn`), n. See Rake, a mineral vein.

Rak"ing (rk"ng), n. 1. The act or process of using a rake; the going over a space with a rake.

2. A space gone over with a rake; also, the work done, or the quantity of hay, grain, etc., collected, by going once over a space with a rake.