raft (1) definition - Dictionary

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raft (1)

raft [ raft ]

noun (plural rafts)

Definition:

1. flat boat: a flat floating structure made of wooden planks, logs, barrels, or similar materials, used as a boat or anchored in the water as a dock or diving platform

2. inflatable boat or mat: an inflatable flat-bottomed rubber or plastic boat used for drifting along on a river, or an inflatable rectangular mat used for surfing or lounging in the water

3. collection of floating objects: a group of animals, especially wildfowl, or a mass of things floating or traveling together on water

a raft of ducks

verb (past and past participle raft·ed, present participle raft·ing, 3rd person present singular rafts)

Definition:

1. transitive verb move something by raft: to transport something by raft

2. intransitive verb sail on raft: to travel on a raft

3. transitive verb form raft: to form something into a raft, or make something gather together into a raft

The lumberjacks rafted the logs together before sending them downstream.

[13th century. < Old Norse raptr "log, beam"]

Cultural Note


	The Raft of the Medusa, a painting (1819) by French artist Théodore Géricault. This monumental work is a harrowing depiction of the suffering of the survivors of an infamous 1816 shipwreck. Géricault's treatment of a contemporary subject in an epic style more traditionally associated with classical or historical themes was seen as a significant development in European art.