rake
/reik/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A long-handled garden tool: A tool with a row of metal or plastic teeth at the head, used for gathering leaves, smoothing soil, or loosening ground.
- A dissolute or immoral man: A man, especially one who is fashionable, who lives an irresponsible and immoral life of pleasure.
- An angle or slope: The degree of inclination from the horizontal, such as the slope of a stage, a ship's mast, or a vehicle's chassis.
Verb:
- To gather, smooth, or loosen with a rake: To use a rake as a tool.
- To search or examine thoroughly: To look through something carefully or hastily.
- To sweep gunfire along a length: To direct gunfire or something similar so as to sweep across an area.
- To move through or over something as if with a rake: To pass fingers, hands, or eyes over or through something in a sweeping motion.
Usage Examples
Noun (Tool):
- He used a rake to gather the fallen leaves in the yard.
- The gardener smoothed the soil with a metal rake.
Noun (Person):
- In the old novel, the protagonist was portrayed as a charming rake.
- He had the reputation of a rake, more interested in parties than in responsibility.
Verb (Tool Action):
- Please rake the leaves into a pile for collection.
- She raked the gravel path to make it even.
Verb (Search/Examine):
- The detective raked through the evidence looking for a clue.
- She raked the shelves with her eyes, searching for the book.
Verb (Sweep with gunfire):
- Machine gun fire raked the deck of the ship.
Verb (Move through):
- He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.
Advanced Usage
"to rake over": To discuss or examine something unpleasant from the past.
- The journalist didn't want to rake over the details of the old scandal.
"to rake someone over the coals": To criticize or reprimand someone severely.
- The manager raked him over the coals for missing the deadline.
"to rake in": To earn or acquire a large amount of money, especially easily.
- The new blockbuster movie is raking in millions at the box office.
Variants and Related Words
- Raker (n): A person or machine that rakes.
- Raking (adj/n): Describing something done with a rake (e.g., a raking light); the act of using a rake.
- Rake-off (n, informal): A share of profits, especially one taken illegally or unethically.
- He was suspected of taking a rake-off from the deal.
Synonyms
- Noun (Tool): Hoe, scraper.
- Noun (Person): Libertine, playboy, profligate.
- Verb (Gather): Scrape, gather, collect.
- Verb (Search): Scour, comb, rifle through.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Rake up: To bring back to attention something unpleasant or forgotten.
- Why must you always rake up old arguments?
Rake out: To remove something by raking or searching.
- She raked out the ashes from the fireplace.
Rake off: To remove a layer or portion, often referring to taking an unfair share.
- The corrupt official would rake off a percentage of every contract.
Related Idioms
As thin as a rake: Extremely thin or skinny.
- After his illness, he was as thin as a rake.
Rake and scrape: To live in a frugal or miserly way; also refers to a style of Bahamian music.
- They had to rake and scrape to save enough money for the trip.
Noun
- a long-handled tool with a row of teeth at its head; used to move leaves or loosen soil
- degree of deviation from a horizontal plane
- the roof had a steep pitch
- a dissolute man in fashionable society
Verb
- scrape gently
- graze the skin
- gather with a rake
- rake leaves
- examine hastily
- She scanned the newspaper headlines while waiting for the taxi
- sweep the length of
- The gunfire raked the coast
- level or smooth with a rake
- rake gravel
- move through with or as if with a rake
- She raked her fingers through her hair