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to rack

to rack

2 9.9
To move with a fast, smooth four-beat gait
  • verb
  • /ræk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hacer el paso de rack
  • Rack him.

Examples

  • OMG, I had been racking my brain to try and remember what his name was.

    Blog text (10)
  • Rack time.

  • We tilt and rack to see that nobody is visible through the window.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • We rack focus over the gunsights of the pistol into the paralyzed face of the man in 148-B.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • If the horizon is hard to find, pose the buck with his antlers against a high-contrast background; a white-racked buck looks great against dark spruce timber or red oak leaves, for example.

    Blog text (28)
  • Life in Saskatchewan, the long frozen winters heavy with snow and racked with blizzards, and the lean cultural fare of the town drove Fannie to gather up her two sons in 1912 and brave the journey back to her parents' home.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The horse began to rack gracefully down the racetrack, impressing the audience with its smooth gait.

  • As the skilled rider urged her horse, it responded by breaking into a swift rack that showcased its agility.

  • With a gentle nudge, the jockey guided the stallion into a rack, highlighting its training and speed.

Synonyms

to single-foot
vsto rack
  • Specialized
9.9

To move in a smooth, fast four beat way used by some riding horses

is the standard term for the same fast smooth four beat gait

Antonyms

1.0

To move on foot at a normal speed

Idioms

13 5.8

Think very hard to remember something or solve a problem

A building or place that has fallen into bad condition

Phrasal Verbs

to rack up
  • Informal
54 3.6

To collect many points or wins

1 4.8

To put the pool balls in a triangle before the game

Compounds

8 3.4

A cut of lamb from the ribs often roasted and served whole or as chops

7 4.4

Clothes made in standard sizes and sold in stores, not made for one person

5 2.1

A metal frame for parking and locking bikes

5 1.0

A stand with hooks for hanging coats and hats

4 1.6

A bar or frame for hanging towels to dry in a bathroom

3 1.4

A stand or shelf that holds jars of spices in a kitchen

A stand that holds magazines for people to read

2 1.1

A rack that holds dishes after washing so the water drains off them

2 2.5

A shelf above seats for holding suitcases or bags

2 3.1

A frame attached to a car roof for carrying luggage and bikes

rack and pinion
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A round gear and a flat bar with teeth that change turning into straight movement

1 1.9

A frame made of metal or wood where you lock and park a bike

bomb rack
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A metal frame on an aircraft that holds and drops bombs in flight

1 4.4

A shelf for holding meat for sale in a shop

rack rent
  • Archaic
1 9.0

A very high amount people must pay to live in a house or use land that is unfair

1 1.6

A small holder that keeps ties neat in a closet

A metal frame where people lock and leave bicycles

A metal frame where people lock and leave bicycles

A rack that shows dresses for sale in a shop

A stand that holds sheet music while a musician plays

rack railway
  • Specialized
8.1

A railway for steep hills where a gear on the train fits a central toothed rail to climb safely

5.3

A stand that holds tobacco pipes to store and show them

A rack for holding plates upright to dry after washing

3.0

A frame attached to a car that holds skis securely during driving

How Fast

to gallop
25 1.9
to rack
  • Specialized
2 9.9
canter
  • Specialized
4 6.5
trot
15 1.6
to walk
1.0
to amble
15 4.8

Surface Forms

rack infinitive
racked past
racked past participle
racking present participle
racks third person singular

Etymology

Rack as a verb for the horse comes from the same idea of quick, reaching movement, so to rack is to move at that smooth, fast gait. That helps you remember the verb by thinking of a horse stretching its legs forward quickly.