RACKS
Noun
racks
plural of rack
Verb
racks
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of rack
Anagrams
• carks
Source: Wiktionary
RACK
Rack, n.
Definition: Same as Arrack.
Rack, n. Etym: [AS. hracca neck, hinder part of the head; cf. AS.
hraca throat, G. rachen throat, E. retch.]
Definition: The neck and spine of a fore quarter of veal or mutton.
Rack, n. Etym: [See Wreck.]
Definition: A wreck; destruction. [Obs., except in a few phrases.] Rack and
ruin, destruction; utter ruin. [Colloq.] -- To go to rack, to perish;
to be destroyed. [Colloq.] "All goes to rack." Pepys.
Rack, n. Etym: [Prob. fr. Icel. rek drift, motion, and akin to reka
to drive, and E. wrack, wreck. .]
Definition: Thin, flying, broken clouds, or any portion of floating vapor
in the sky. Shak.
The winds in the upper region, which move the clouds above, which we
call the rack, . . . pass without noise. Bacon.
And the night rack came rolling up. C. Kingsley.
Rack, v. i.
Definition: To fly, as vapor or broken clouds.
Rack, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Racked; p. pr. & vb. n. Racking.] Etym:
[See Rack that which stretches, or Rock, v.]
Definition: To amble fast, causing a rocking or swaying motion of the body;
to pace; -- said of a horse. Fuller.
Rack, n.
Definition: A fast amble.
Rack, v. t. Etym: [Cf. OF. vin raqué squeezed from the dregs of the
grapes.]
Definition: To draw off from the lees or sediment, as wine.
It is in common practice to draw wine or beer from the lees (which we
call racking), whereby it will clarify much the sooner. Bacon.
Rack vintage, wine cleansed and drawn from the lees. Cowell.
Rack, n. Etym: [Probably fr. D.rek, rekbank, a rack, rekken to
stretch; akin to G. reck, reckbank, a rack, recken to stretch, Dan.
række, Sw. räcka, Icel. rekja to spread out, Goth. refrakjan to
stretch out; cf. L. porrigere, Gr. Right, a., Ratch.]
1. An instrument or frame used for stretching, extending, retaining,
or displaying, something. Specifically:
(a) An engine of torture, consisting of a large frame, upon which the
body was gradually stretched until, sometimes, the joints were
dislocated; -- formerly used judicially for extorting confessions
from criminals or suspected persons.
During the troubles of the fifteenth century, a rack was introduced
into the Tower, and was occasionally used under the plea of political
necessity. Macaulay.
(b) An instrument for bending a bow.
(c) A grate on which bacon is laid.
(d) A frame or device of various construction for holding, and
preventing the waste of, hay, grain, etc., supplied to beasts.
(e) A frame on which articles are deposited for keeping or arranged
for display; as, a clothes rack; a bottle rack, etc.
(f) (Naut.) A piece or frame of wood, having several sheaves, through
which the running rigging passes; -- called also rack block. Also, a
frame to hold shot.
(g) (Mining) A frame or table on which ores are separated or washed.
(h) A frame fitted to a wagon for carrying hay, straw, or grain on
the stalk, or other bulky loads.
(i) A distaff.
2. (Mech.)
Definition: A bar with teeth on its face, or edge, to work with those of a
wheel, pinion, or worm, which is to drive it or be driven by it.
3. That which is extorted; exaction. [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys. Mangle
rack. (Mach.) See under Mangle. n.
– Rack block. (Naut.) See def. 1 (f), above.
– Rack lashing, a lashing or binding where the rope is tightened,
and held tight by the use of a small stick of wood twisted around.
– Rack rail (Railroads), a toothed rack, laid as a rail, to afford
a hold for teeth on the driving wheel of locomotive for climbing
steep gradients, as in ascending a mountain.
– Rack saw, a saw having wide teeth.
– Rack stick, the stick used in a rack lashing.
– To be on the rack, to suffer torture, physical or mental.
– To live at rack and manger, to live on the best at another's
expense. [Colloq.] -- To put to the rack, to subject to torture; to
torment.
A fit of the stone puts a kingto the rack, and makes him as miserable
as it does the meanest subject. Sir W. Temple.
Rack, v. t.
1. To extend by the application of force; to stretch or strain;
specifically, to stretch on the rack or wheel; to torture by an
engine which strains the limbs and pulls the joints.
He was racked and miserably tormented. Pope.
2. To torment; to torture; to affect with extreme pain or anguish.
Vaunting aloud but racked with deep despair. Milton.
3. To stretch or strain, in a figurative sense; hence, to harass, or
oppress by extortion.
The landlords there shamefully rack their tenants. Spenser.
They [landlords] 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)
Definition: To wash on a rack, as metals or ore.
5. (Naut.)
Definition: 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition