rake

rake — noun

1. a long-handled tool whose head has several pointed metal bars, used for gatherin

1.nounA2
Definition

a long-handled tool whose head has several pointed metal bars, used for gathering leaves or making garden soil flat

Example

Eitan picked up the garden rake and gathered the leaves into a pile.

The metal teeth of the old rake had bent after years in rocky soil.

collocation: rake teeth / rake handle

Common collocations
  • use a rake
  • rake + leaves / soil / grass
  • garden rake
  • metal rake
Synonyms
  • hoe

    a hoe has a flat blade for cutting weeds and breaking up soil, while a rake has prongs for gathering and smoothing

  • broom

    a broom with stiff bristles is used for sweeping hard surfaces; a rake is for garden soil and leaves

2. the angle at which a surface slopes away from a straight horizontal or vertical

2.nounB2
Definition

the angle at which a surface slopes away from a straight horizontal or vertical line, especially the sloping floor of a theatre stage or a roof

Example

The rake of the stage helped the audience see the actors from every seat.

theatre context: stage rake

Tamás measured the rake of the roof to ensure rain would flow off easily.

Common collocations
  • the rake of the stage
  • the rake of the roof
  • steep rake
  • slight rake
  • measure the rake
Synonyms
  • slope

    a general word for any angled surface; 'rake' is more technical and specific to constructed surfaces like stages or roofs

  • incline

    more formal than 'slope'; 'rake' is narrower in use and usually refers to the deliberately designed angle of a structure

  • gradient

    used for roads, railways, and graphs; 'rake' is mainly for stages and architectural features

Antonyms
  • level

    a flat surface with no slope

  • flatness

    the quality of being horizontal and even

Usage Note

This sense is most common in theatre and architecture contexts. For a general slope not connected to design, use 'slope' or 'incline' instead.

3. a wealthy or socially prominent man whose behaviour is considered morally bad be

3.nounC1
Definition

a wealthy or socially prominent man whose behaviour is considered morally bad because he spends his time and money on drinking, gambling, and casual sexual relationships

Example

The duke was a notorious rake who spent his nights gambling at private clubs.

common in historical or literary contexts

In the novel, a wealthy rake falls in love with a poor farmer's daughter.

Common collocations
  • a notorious rake
  • a wealthy rake
  • a charming rake
  • an old rake
Synonyms
  • libertine

    more formal and intellectual than 'rake'; suggests a philosophical rejection of moral rules rather than just indulgence

  • playboy

    modern and less harsh than 'rake'; implies many romantic partners but not necessarily gambling or drinking

  • womanizer

    focuses specifically on sexual relationships with many women; 'rake' covers a broader set of immoral behaviours

Antonyms
  • ascetic

    a person who lives simply and avoids pleasure and luxury

  • puritan

    a person with strict moral and religious beliefs who disapproves of pleasure-seeking

Usage Note

This sense is dated and literary. It is not used in modern conversation to describe someone in real life. The word appears most often in discussions of historical figures or characters in classic novels and plays.

Common Mistakes

He is such a rake because he stays up late.
The play portrays the main character as a rake who pursues pleasure without any moral restraint.
'Rake' in this sense implies serious moral failings like gambling, drinking, and promiscuity, not just a late-night lifestyle.

rake — verb

Word family

  • raking
    nounB1
  • raked
    adjectiveB2
  • rakehell
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A rake, a hoe, a shovel, and a broom are all long-handled tools used for different tasks. A rake has a row of metal or plastic prongs at the end, designed for gathering leaves or smoothing soil — the prongs can pass through material without pushing it all. A hoe has a flat metal blade set at an angle to the handle, used for cutting weeds and breaking up soil surfaces, not for collecting things. A shovel has a curved, scoop-shaped blade that lifts and moves loose material like soil, sand, or snow — it is for digging and transferring, not for gathering across a surface. A broom has stiff bristles and is used on hard floors, not on garden soil or grass. If you are collecting fallen leaves in autumn, you reach for a rake. If you are digging a hole to plant a tree, you use a shovel. If you are clearing weeds from between rows of vegetables, a hoe is the right tool. Each is specialised for a distinct garden or household job.

hoeshovel ↗broom ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • rake through
  • rake up
  • rake over
  • rake together

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'rake' comes from Old English 'raca', which was the name of the garden tool with a long handle and prongs. This can be traced back to a Proto-Germanic root '*rak-' meaning 'to gather or collect', and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*reg-' meaning 'to straighten or direct'. The noun for the tool appeared first. The verb meaning 'to use a rake' developed naturally from the noun. Later, the verb took on the figurative meaning of 'searching through something quickly' — like moving a rake through leaves — and the slang baseball sense of 'hitting hard consistently'. The noun sense meaning 'a dissolute man' has a separate but related history: it is a shortening of 'rakehell', a compound of 'rake' (in the sense of 'a thin, gaunt person' from Old Norse 'rak' meaning 'straight or thin') and 'hell', describing someone whose lifestyle is so wasteful and immoral that they seem destined for hell.