Meaning & use

rake

noun·Everyday

A garden tool with a long handle and a row of teeth or prongs, used to gather leaves or level soil.

See it in a sentence

He used a rake to gather the fallen leaves into a large pile in the yard.

She raked the gravel path smooth after the workers finished digging the trench.

A note on using this word

As a verb, 'rake' can also mean to search through something thoroughly or to criticize someone harshly, as in 'raked over the coals.'

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A man who behaves immorally, especially by having many casual sexual relationships.

The novel's main character starts out as a notorious rake before falling genuinely in love.

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