raft
    n 1: a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be
         used for transport or as a platform for swimmers
    2: (often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
       "a batch of letters"; "a deal of trouble"; "a lot of money";
       "he made a mint on the stock market"; "see the rest of the
       winners in our huge passel of photos"; "it must have cost
       plenty"; "a slew of journalists"; "a wad of money" [syn:
       batch, deal, flock, good deal, great deal,
       hatful, heap, lot, mass, mess, mickle, mint,
       mountain, muckle, passel, peck, pile, plenty,
       pot, quite a little, raft, sight, slew, spate,
       stack, tidy sum, wad]
    v 1: transport on a raft; "raft wood down a river"
    2: travel by raft in water; "Raft the Colorado River"
    3: make into a raft; "raft these logs"

Raft \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.
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Raft \Raft\ (r[.a]ft), obs.
   imp. & p. p. of Reave. --Spenser.
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Raft \Raft\, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr
   a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar;
   cf. OHG. r[=a]fo, r[=a]vo, a beam, rafter, Icel. r[=a]f 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.
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   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.]
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   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.
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   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.] (Zool.)
      (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.
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Reave \Reave\ (r[=e]v), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reaved (r[=e]vd),
   Reft (r[e^]ft), or Raft (r[.a]ft) (obs.); p. pr. & vb. n.
   Reaving.] [AS. re['a]fian, from re['a]f spoil, plunder,
   clothing, re['o]fan to break (cf. bire['o]fan to deprive of);
   akin to G. rauben to rob, Icel. raufa to rob, rj[=u]fa to
   break, violate, Goth. bir['a]ub[=o]n to despoil, L. rumpere
   to break; cf. Skr. lup to break. [root]114. Cf. Bereave,
   Rob, v. t., Robe, Rove, v. i., Rupture.]
   To take away by violence or by stealth; to snatch away; to
   rob; to despoil; to bereave. [Archaic]. "To reave his life."
   --Spenser.
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         He golden apples raft of the dragon.     --Chaucer.
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         If the wooers reave
         By privy stratagem my life at home.      --Chapman.
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         To reave the orphan of his patrimony.    --Shak.
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         The heathen caught and reft him of his tongue.
                                                  --Tennyson.
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