Rack /(răk)/

Rack

n.
  1. Same as Arrack.

Rack

n.
  1. The neck and spine of a fore quarter of veal or mutton.

Rack

n.
  1. A wreck; destruction. [Obs., except in a few phrases.]

Phrases & Compounds
Rack and ruin
destruction; utter ruin.
To go to rack
to perish; to be destroyed.

Rack

n.
  1. Thin, flying, broken clouds, or any portion of floating vapor in the sky.
    The winds in the upper region, which move the clouds above, which we call the rack, . . . pass without noise.
    And the night rack came rolling up.
    — C. Kingsley.

Rack

v. i.
  1. To fly, as vapor or broken clouds.

Rack

v. i.

imp. & p. p. Racked; p. pr. & vb. n. Racking

  1. To amble fast, causing a rocking or swaying motion of the body; to pace; -- said of a horse.

Rack

n.
  1. A fast amble.

Rack

v. t.
  1. To draw off from the lees or sediment, as wine.
    It is in common practice to draw wine or beer from the lees (which we call racking), whereby it will clarify much the sooner.

Phrases & Compounds
Rack vintage
wine cleansed and drawn from the lees.

Rack

n.
  1. An instrument or frame used for stretching, extending, retaining, or displaying, something.
    During the troubles of the fifteenth century, a rack was introduced into the Tower, and was occasionally used under the plea of political necessity.
  2. An instrument for bending a bow. (Naut.)
  3. A bar with teeth on its face, or edge, to work with those of a wheel, pinion, or worm, which is to drive it or be driven by it. (Mech.)
  4. That which is extorted; exaction. [Obs.]
    A fit of the stone puts a king to the rack, and makes him as miserable as it does the meanest subject.

Phrases & Compounds
Mangle rack
See under Mangle. n.
Rack block
See def. 1 (f), above.
Rack lashing
a lashing or binding where the rope is tightened, and held tight by the use of a small stick of wood twisted around.
Rack rail
a toothed rack, laid as a rail, to afford a hold for teeth on the driving wheel of a locomotive for climbing steep gradients, as in ascending a mountain.
Rack saw
a saw having wide teeth.
Rack stick
the stick used in a rack lashing.
To be on the rack
to suffer torture, physical or mental.
To live at rack and manger
to live on the best at another's expense.
To put to the rack
to subject to torture; to torment.

Rack

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.
    He was racked and miserably tormented.
    — Foxe.
  2. To torment; to torture; to affect with extreme pain or anguish.
    Vaunting aloud but racked with deep despair.
  3. To stretch or strain, in a figurative sense; hence, to harass, or oppress by extortion.
    The landlords there shamefully rack their tenants.
    They [landlords] rack their rents an ace too high.
    — Gascoigne.
    Grant that I may never rack a Scripture simile beyond the true intent thereof.
    Try what my credit can in Venice do; That shall be racked even to the uttermost.
  4. To wash on a rack, as metals or ore. (Mining)
  5. To bind together, as two ropes, with cross turns of yarn, marline, etc. (Naut.)

Phrases & Compounds
To rack one's brains
to exert one's thinking processes to the utmost for the purpose of accomplishing something; as, I racked my brains out trying to find a way to solve the problem.