rack

pronunciation

How to pronounce rack in British English: UK [ræk] word uk audio image

How to pronounce rack in American English: US [ræk] word us audio image

Noun:

framework for holding objects
rib section of a forequarter of veal or pork or especially lamb or mutton
the destruction or collapse of something
an instrument of torture that stretches or disjoints or mutilates victims
a support for displaying various articles
a rapid gait of a horse in which each foot strikes the ground separately
Verb:

go at a rack
stretch to the limits
put on a rack and pinion
obtain by coercion or intimidation
run before a gale
fly in high wind
draw off from the lees
torment emotionally or mentally
work on a rack
seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block
torture on the rack

Word Origin

rack: rack: English has no fewer than four distinct words rack. The oldest, ‘framework’ [14], was borrowed from Dutch rak, which was probably a derivative of the Middle Dutch verb recken ‘stretch’. Rack ‘destruction’ [16], now used only in the phrase rack and ruin, is a variant of wrack, which is closely related to wreak and wreck. Rack, or wrack, ‘mass of wind-driven cloud’ [14] was probably acquired from Old Norse (Swedish has the probably related rak). And rack ‘drain wine off its lees’ [15] was borrowed from Provençal arracar, a derivative of raca ‘dregs’.=> wrack, wreak, wreck

rack (n.1): "frame with bars," c. 1300, possibly from Middle Dutch rec "framework," literally "something stretched out, related to recken (modern rekken) "stretch out," cognate with Old English reccan "to stretch out," from Proto-Germanic *rak- (cognates: Old Saxon rekkian, Old Frisian reza, Old Norse rekja, Old High German recchen, German recken, Gothic uf-rakjan "to stretch out"), from PIE *rog-, from root *reg- "to move in a straight line" (see regal). Meaning "instrument of torture" first recorded early 15c., perhaps from German rackbank, originally an implement for stretching leather, etc. Mechanical meaning "toothed bar" is from 1797 (see pinion). Meaning "set of antlers" is first attested 1945, American English; hence slang sense of "a woman's breasts" (especially if large), by 1991. Meaning "framework for displaying clothes" is from 1948; hence off the rack (1951) of clothing, as opposed to tailored.

rack (n.2): type of gait of a horse, 1580s, from rack (v.) "move with a fast, lively gait" 1520s in this sense (implied in racking), of unknown origin; perhaps from French racquassure "racking of a horse in his pace," itself of unknown origin. Or perhaps a variant of rock (v.1).

rack (n.3): "clouds driven before the wind," c. 1300, also "rush of wind, collision, crash," originally a northern word, possibly from Old English racu "cloud" (or an unrecorded Scandinavian cognate of it), reinforced by Old Norse rek "wreckage, jetsam," or by influence of Old English wræc "something driven;" from Proto-Germanic *wrakaz, from PIE root *wreg- "to push, shove, drive" (see urge (v.)). Often confused with wrack (n.), especially in phrase rack and ruin (1590s). The distinction is that rack is "driven clouds;" wrack is "seaweed cast up on shore."

rack (v.): "to stretch out for drying," also "to torture on the rack," early 15c., from rack (n.1). Of other pains from 1580s. Figurative sense of "to torment" is from c. 1600. Meaning "raise above a fair level" (of rent, etc.) is from 1550s. Meaning "fit with racks" is from 1580s. Teenager slang meaning "to sleep" is from 1960s (rack (n.) was Navy slang for "bed" in 1940s). Related: Racked; racking. Rack up "register, accumulate, achieve" is first attested 1943 (in "Billboard"), probably from method of keeping score in pool halls.

rack (n.4): "cut of animal meat and bones," 1560s, of unknown origin; perhaps from some resemblance to rack (n.1). Compare rack-bone "vertebrae" (1610s).

5. Like the medieval rack , every turn of the crisis tears europe further apart .