rafting
present participle of raft
rafting (uncountable)
The sport of guiding a raft while descending a river, especially through rapids known as white water rafting.
• farting, ingraft
Source: Wiktionary
Raft"ing, n.
Definition: The business of making or managing rafts.
Raft, obs.
Definition: imp. & p. p. of Reave. Spenser.
Raft, n. Etym: [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. rafo, ravo, a beam, rafter, Icel. raf roof. Cf. Rafter, n.]
1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened, together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float.
2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation. [U.S.]
3. Etym: [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.]
Definition: A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] "A whole raft of folks." W. D. Howells. Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together.
– Raft duck. Etym: [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] (Zoöl.) (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead.
– Raft port (Naut.), a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.
Raft, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rafting.]
Definition: To transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make into a raft; as, to raft timber.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
9 March 2025
(verb) fill to excess so that function is impaired; “Fear clogged her mind”; “The story was clogged with too many details”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
