rack

rack
rack1
rackingly, adv.
/rak/, n.
1. a framework of bars, wires, or pegs on which articles are arranged or deposited: a clothes rack; a luggage rack.
2. a fixture containing several tiered shelves, often affixed to a wall: a book rack; a spice rack.
3. a spreading framework set on a wagon for carrying hay, straw, or the like, in large loads.
4. Pool.
a. a wooden frame of triangular shape within which the balls are arranged before play.
b. the balls so arranged: He took aim at the rack.
5. Mach.
a. a bar, with teeth on one of its sides, adapted to engage with the teeth of a pinion (rack and pinion) or the like, as for converting circular into rectilinear motion or vice versa.
b. a bar having a series of notches engaging with a pawl or the like.
6. a former instrument of torture consisting of a framework on which a victim was tied, often spread-eagled, by the wrists and ankles, to be slowly stretched by spreading the parts of the framework.
7. a cause or state of intense suffering of body or mind.
8. torment; anguish.
9. violent strain.
10. a pair of antlers.
11. Slang. a bed, cot, or bunk: I spent all afternoon in the rack.
v.t.
12. to torture; distress acutely; torment: His body was racked with pain.
13. to strain in mental effort: to rack one's brains.
14. to strain by physical force or violence.
15. to strain beyond what is normal or usual.
16. to stretch the body of (a person) in torture by means of a rack.
17. Naut. to seize (two ropes) together side by side.
18. rack out, Slang. to go to bed; go to sleep: I racked out all afternoon.
19. rack up,
a. Pool. to put (the balls) in a rack.
b. Informal. to tally, accumulate, or amass as an achievement or score: The corporation racked up the greatest profits in its history.
[1250-1300; ME rakke, rekke (n.) < MD rac, rec, recke; cf. MLG reck, G Reck]
Syn. 7. torture, pain, agony, tribulation, ordeal. 12. See torment.
rack2
/rak/, n.
1. ruin or destruction; wrack.
2. go to rack and ruin, to decay, decline, or become destroyed: His property went to rack and ruin in his absence.
v.
3. rack up, Slang. to wreck, esp. a vehicle.
[1590-1600; var. of WRACK1]
rack3
/rak/, n.
1. the fast pace of a horse in which the legs move in lateral pairs but not simultaneously.
v.i.
2. (of horses) to move in a rack.
[1570-80; perh. var. of ROCK2]
rack4
/rak/, n.
1. Also called cloud rack. a group of drifting clouds.
v.i.
2. to drive or move, esp. before the wind.
Also, wrack.
[1350-1400; ME rak, reck(e); orig. uncert.]
rack5
/rak/, v.t.
to draw off (wine, cider, etc.) from the lees.
[1425-75; late ME < OF; cf. obs. F raqué (of wine) pressed from the dregs of grapes]
rack6
/rak/, n.
1. the neck portion of mutton, pork, or veal.
2. the rib section of a foresaddle of lamb, mutton, or sometimes veal.
[1560-70; orig. uncert.]

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▪ torture instrument
      a bedlike open frame suspended above the ground that was used as a torture device. The victim's ankles and wrists were secured by ropes that passed around axles near the head and the foot of the rack; when the axles were turned slowly by poles inserted into sockets, the victim's hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow joints would be dislocated.

      Introduced into the Tower of London (London, Tower of) about 1420 by the Duke of Exeter, the torture rack was known colloquially as “The Duke of Exeter's Daughter” and was operated by the yeoman warders to extract confessions and incriminating information from suspected traitors, heretics, and conspirators. Similar devices were used in Ireland in the 17th century and later in Portugal.

Geoffrey Abbott
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • rack — rack …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Rack — Rack, n. [Probably fr. D. rek, rekbank, a rack, rekken to stretch; akin to G. reck, reckbank, a rack, recken to stretch, Dan. r[ae]kke, Sw. r[ a]cka, Icel. rekja to spread out, Goth. refrakjan to stretch out; cf. L. porrigere, Gr. ore gein.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rack — may refer to: People * Rack (Buffyverse) * Reinhard Rack, an Austrian politician Kinds of racks * Rack (torture device) * Rack (billiards) * 19 inch rack, a system for mounting electronic modules * Amp rack, short for amplifier rack, a piece of… …   Wikipedia

  • rack — [ rak ] n. m. • 1954; mot angl. « râtelier; étagère » ♦ Anglic. Électron. Tiroir destiné à recevoir des sous ensembles électroniques qui doivent être montés dans une baie (2., 2o). ● rack nom masculin (anglais rack, râtelier) Meuble de rangement… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • rack — rack1 [rak] n. [ME racke < LowG rack < IE * rek , to project, bar > ROCK2] 1. a framework, grating, case, stand, etc. for holding or displaying various things [clothes rack, dish rack, pipe rack, bomb rack]: often used in combination:… …   English World dictionary

  • Rack — (r[a^]k), 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. [1913 Webster] He was racked and miserably… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rack — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros usos de este término, véase Rack (desambiguación). Fotografía de un Rack. Un rack es un bastidor destinado a alojar equipamiento electrónico, informático y de comunicaciones. Sus medidas están …   Wikipedia Español

  • Rack — 〈[ ræ̣k] n. 15〉 Regal, Gestell (bes. für Stereoanlagen) [engl.] * * * Rack [rɛk , engl.: ræk], das; s, s [engl. rack = Regal, Gestell]: regalartiges Gestell zur Unterbringung von Elementen einer Stereoanlage. * * * I Rack   das, s/ s …   Universal-Lexikon

  • rack — Ⅰ. rack [1] ► NOUN 1) a framework for holding or storing things. 2) a cogged or toothed bar or rail engaging with a wheel or pinion, or using pegs to adjust the position of something. 3) (the rack) historical an instrument of torture consisting… …   English terms dictionary

  • Rack — Rack, n. [See {Wreck}.] A wreck; destruction. [Obs., except in a few phrases.] [1913 Webster] {Rack and ruin}, destruction; utter ruin. [Colloq.] {To go to rack}, to perish; to be destroyed. [Colloq.] All goes to rack. Pepys. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • rack — [ræk] verb rack up something to succeed in getting a large amount of something, especially profits, sales, or debts: • His last movie managed to rack up $75 million at the box office. • Somehow he managed to rack up debts of £80,000 …   Financial and business terms

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