Raf`fa*el*esque" (rf`f*l*sk"), a. Raphaelesque.
Raf"fi*a (rf"f*), n. (Bot.) A fibrous material used for tying plants,
said to come from the leaves of a palm tree of the genus Raphia. J.
Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
Raf"fi*nose` (rf"f*ns`), n. [F. raffiner to refine.] (Chem.) A
colorless crystalline slightly sweet substance obtained from the
molasses of the sugar beet.
Raff"ish (rf"sh), a. Resembling, or having the character of, raff, or a
raff; worthless; low.
A sad, raffish, disreputable character.
Thackeray.
Raf"fle (rf"f'l), n. [F. rafle; faire rafle to sweep stakes, fr. rafler
to carry or sweep away, rafler tout to sweep stakes; of German origin;
cf. G. raffeln to snatch up, to rake. See Raff, v.] 1. A kind of
lottery, in which several persons pay, in shares, the value of
something put up as a stake, and then determine by chance (as by
casting dice) which one of them shall become the sole possessor.
2. A game of dice in which he who threw three alike won all the stakes.
[Obs.] Cotgrave.
Raf"fle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Raffled (-f'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Raffling
(-flng).] To engage in a raffle; as, to raffle for a watch.
Raf"fle, v. t. To dispose of by means of a raffle; -- often followed by
off; as, to raffle off a horse.
Raf"fler (rf"flr), n. One who raffles.
||Raf*fle"si*a (rf*fl"zh*), n. [NL. Named from its discoverer, Sir S.
||Raffles.] (Bot.) A genus of stemless, leafless plants, living
||parasitically upon the roots and stems of grapevines in Malaysia. The
||flowers have a carrionlike odor, and are very large, in one species
||(Rafflesia Arnoldi) having a diameter of two or three feet.
Raft (rft), obs. imp. & p. p. of Reave. Spenser.
Raft, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter;
akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. rfo, rvo, a
beam, rafter, Icel. rf roof. Cf. Rafter, n.] 1. A collection of logs,
boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened together, either for
their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support
in conveying other things; a float.
2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some
Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation.
[U.S.]
3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.] A large collection of people or
things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] "A whole raft of folks."
W. D. Howells.
Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A
bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together. -- Raft
duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] (Zoöl.) (a)
The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See
Scaup. (b) The redhead. -- Raft port (Naut.), a large, square port in a
vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles;
a timber or lumber port.
Raft, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rafting.] To
transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make into a raft; as,
to raft timber.
Raf"te (rf"te), obs. imp. of Reave. Chaucer.
Raft"er (rft"r), n. A raftsman.
Raft"er, n. [AS. ræfter; akin to E. raft, n. See Raft.] (Arch.)
Originally, any rough and somewhat heavy piece of timber. Now,
commonly, one of the timbers of a roof which are put on sloping,
according to the inclination of the roof. See Illust. of Queen-post.
[Courtesy] oft is sooner found in lowly sheds, With smoky rafters,
than in tapestry halls.
Milton.
Raft"er, v. t. 1. To make into rafters, as timber.