rack

rack · noun¹

1. Middle Dutch · derived fromrac
2. Middle English · inherited fromrakke
3. English todayrack

From Middle English rakke, rekke, from Middle Dutch rac, recke, rec (Dutch rek), see rekken.

rack · verb²

1. Old English · inherited fromreċċan“to stretch out, extend”
2. English todayrack

From Old English reċċan (“to stretch out, extend”).

rack · verb, noun³

1. Middle English · derived fromrek“drift; thing tossed ashore; jetsam”
2. Middle English · inherited fromrak
3. Old Norse · derived fromreka“to be drifted, tost”
4. Middle English · inherited fromreken
5. English todayrack

From Middle English reken, from Old Norse reka (“to be drifted, tost”) The noun is from Middle English rak, rakke, from Middle English rek (“drift; thing tossed ashore; jetsam”), from the verb.

rack · verb⁴

1. Middle English · inherited fromrakken
2. Middle English · inherited fromrakken
3. English todayrack

Inherited from Middle English rakken.

rack · verb, noun⁵

See rack (“that which stretches”), or rock (verb).

rack · noun⁶

See wreck.

rack · noun⁷

Uncertain. Perhaps a contraction of rabbock, an alteration ( + -ock) of rabbit.

Words from the same roots