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| rack [ rak ] |
noun (plural racks) |
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| Definition: |
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1. framework for holding things: a framework or stand for carrying, holding, or storing things
  a wine rack
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2. agriculture feed-holding framework: a framework containing hay or other fodder for livestock
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3. air force bomb-holding framework: a framework holding bombs or rockets that is attached to an aircraft
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4. mechanical engineering toothed bar: a bar with notches, designed to engage the teeth of a pinion or worm gear and convert rotary motion to linear motion, e.g. in a vehicle's steering system
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5. instrument of torture: a torture device used to stretch the body of somebody strapped horizontally onto it
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6. zoology antlers: a pair of antlers
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7. cue games ball-placing frame: a triangular frame for grouping the balls at the beginning of a game of pool, billiards, or snooker
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8. cue games balls positioned by frame: the target balls when in position for the start of a game of pool, billiards, or snooker
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9. cue games game in pool: any one of the individual games that make up a match in pool, billiards, or snooker
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10. U.S. bed: a bed or a bunk
(
slang
)
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11. U.S.
(
slang
)
Same as sleepn (sense 1)
Time to get some rack.
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transitive verb (past and past participle racked, present participle rack·ing, 3rd person present singular racks) |
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| Definition: |
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1. cause somebody pain: to cause somebody great pain or stress
the coughing spasms that racked his body
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2. shake something violently: to shake or strain something with violent force
The high winds racked villages all along the coast.
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3. try to use something to maximum: to make a great effort to use all the resources of something such as the brain or the memory to the fullest extent
I racked my brain trying to think where I'd seen him before.
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4. torture somebody on rack: to stretch the body of somebody strapped horizontally on a rack as a means of torture
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5. put something in rack: to place something in or on a rack
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6. mechanical engineering move something with rack: to move a device or part using a rack-and-pinion system
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7. cue games position balls: to set up the balls for a game of billiards, pool, or snooker using a rack
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| [14th century. < Dutch rak "framework"] |
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| rack·er noun |
| rack·ful noun |
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off the rack ready to wear, not tailor-made
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on the rack experiencing great mental anguish (informal)
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| Spelling Note |
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rack or wrack? Do not confuse the spelling of rack and wrack, which sound similar. Rack is the more common word, and the only spelling you should use for the meanings "framework for holding things" (as in wine rack), "toothed bar" (as in rack and pinion), "joint of meat" (as in rack of lamb), "instrument of torture" (as in stretched on the rack), and "accumulate" (as in racked up 100 points). Rack is also the usual spelling of the verb meaning "subject to great stress, pain, torture, etc.", as in racked with guilt, rack your brains. The noun in the phrase rack and ruin can be spelled rack or wrack, but rack is the more common spelling. The noun wrack is chiefly used to denote a type of seaweed.
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