Part 8

The landlords there shamefully rack their tenants.

Spenser.

They [landlords] rack their rents an ace too high.

Gascoigne.

Grant that I may never rack a Scripture simile beyond the true intent thereof.

Fuller.

Try what my credit can in Venice do; That shall be racked even to the uttermost.

Shak.

4. (Mining) To wash on a rack, as metals or ore.

5. (Naut.) To bind together, as two ropes, with cross turns of yarn, marline, etc.

To rack one's brains or wits, to exert them to the utmost for the purpose of accomplishing something.

Syn. -- To torture; torment; rend; tear.

Rack"a*bones` (rk"*bnz`), n. A very lean animal, esp. a horse. [Colloq. U. S.]

Rack"er (rk"r), n. 1. One who racks.

2. A horse that has a racking gait.

Rack"et (rk"t), n. [F. raquette; cf. Sp. raqueta, It. racchetta, which is perhaps for retichetta, and fr. L. rete a net (cf. Reticule); or perh. from the Arabic; cf. Ar. rha the palm of the hand (used at first to strike the ball), and OF. rachette, rasquette, carpus, tarsus.] [Written also racquet.] 1. A thin strip of wood, having the ends brought together, forming a somewhat elliptical hoop, across which a network of catgut or cord is stretched. It is furnished with a handle, and is used for catching or striking a ball in tennis and similar games.

Each one [of the Indians] has a bat curved like a crosier, and ending in a racket.

Bancroft.

2. A variety of the game of tennis played with peculiar long-handled rackets; -- chiefly in the plural. Chaucer.

3. A snowshoe formed of cords stretched across a long and narrow frame of light wood. [Canada]

4. A broad wooden shoe or patten for a man or horse, to enable him to step on marshy or soft ground.

Racket court, a court for playing the game of rackets.

Rack"et, v. t. To strike with, or as with, a racket.

Poor man racketed from one temptation to another.

Hewyt.

Rack"et, n. [Gael. racaid a noise, disturbance.]

1. Confused, clattering noise; din; noisy talk or sport.

2. A carouse; any reckless dissipation. [Slang]