rafter

¹

[ raf-ter, rahf- ]

noun

1. any of a series of timbers or the like, usually having a pronounced slope, for supporting the sheathing and covering of a roof.

verb (used with object)

1. British Dialect. to plow (a field) so that the soil of a furrow is pushed over onto an unplowed adjacent strip.

rafter

²

[ raf-ter, rahf- ]

noun

1. a person who engages in the sport or pastime of rafting.
2. a person who travels on a raft, especially to flee a country.

rafter

³

[ raf-ter, rahf- ]

noun

1. a flock, especially of turkeys.

rafter

/ ˈrɑːftə /

noun

1. any one of a set of sloping beams that form the framework of a roof

Other Words From

• raf·tered adjective
• un·raf·tered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rafter¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English rafter, raftre, ræfter “beam, pole, rafter,” Old English ræfter; cognate with Middle Dutch rachter, rafter “plank, beam,” Middle Low German rafter, rachter, Old Norse raptr “log” (in plural, “rafters”); See raft ¹

Origin of rafter²

First recorded in 1740–45; raft ¹( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Origin of rafter³

raft ² + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rafter¹

Old English ræfter ; related to Old Saxon rehter , Old Norse raptr , Old High German rāvo ; see raft ¹

Example Sentences

In 2007, the two men entered into a storyline rivalry, in which Trump challenged the WWE chairman's authority and even once showered fans with dollar bills from the rafters.

From BBC

Photos of some of the towns show carpets of two-by-fours and roof rafters where homes and businesses once stood.

From Salon

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was cheered to the rafters when she restated Labour’s policy on workers’ rights in her speech to Labour's conference in Liverpool.

From BBC

World premieres of ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘Conclave’ and ‘Saturday Night’ see freshness colliding with nostalgia, while Angelina Jolie’s turn in ‘Maria’ doesn’t hit the rafters.

From Los Angeles Times

Before the game, he had thousands of inflated balloons suspended from the rafters, to be released with great fanfare when the Lakers won, which Cooke believed was a certainty.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beam