rafter
noun · verb
Simple meaning
One of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rafterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹæftɚ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
architecture
One of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
“The carpenter replaced a cracked rafter before installing the new roof.”
collective
A flock of turkeys.
architecture
One of a series of sloped beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.
A raftsman.
verb
transitive
To make (timber, etc.) into rafters.
Provide (a ceiling) with rafters
transitive
To furnish (a building) with rafters.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Rare
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: One of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof
Used this way, rafter is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The carpenter replaced a cracked rafter before installing the new roof.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.