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rafter

raft·er

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

Old English ræfter

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rafter · noun, verb¹

Old English · inherited fromræfter
English todayrafter

From Old English ræfter, of Germanic origin, related to the origin of raft.

rafter · noun²

From raft + -er.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.