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roof rack

roof rack

2 3.1
A frame attached to a car roof for carrying luggage and bikes
  • noun
  • /ruf ræk/
translation icon : portaequipajes
  • We can't put a roof rack on this roof because it's glass.
  • bike on a roof rack

We can't put a roof rack on this roof because it's glass.

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Examples

  • On my To Do List this morning is to install this new roof rack that I bought for Zoe's car.

  • The old roof rack was not sturdy enough to hold the large luggage we needed to transport.

  • That gave me time to grab the roof rack with my free hand.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • But I have had a roof rack on my car, and I dislike the noise that comes through the glass.

    Blog text (20)
  • By the time we clean this dump up, we'll be flying home with Big Ears strapped to the roof rack.

  • The canoes make a sound as they hit the roof rack, a metallic sound like the bolt of a lock being shot home.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The very last thing any person wants to do after a long ride or race is to lift their bike way above their automobile and put it in a roof rack.

    Blog text (26)
  • Harry makes a feeble attempt to brush his hair into place, then clears his throat and nods to the skis on her roof rack.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack.

    Blog text (22)
  • We installed a roof rack on our car to carry the kayaks for our weekend trip.

Synonyms

carrier
vsroof rack
15 3.5

A rack on a car or bike for holding luggage

is specific to the top of a vehicle not to devices on other parts
luggage rack
vsroof rack
2 2.5

A shelf above seats for holding suitcases or bags

is limited to frameworks attached to the vehicle top rather than inside areas
cartop
vsroof rack
7.2

The roof of a car or a rack on it used for carrying luggage

is a fixed framework attached to the vehicle top for carrying large items
luggage carrier
vsroof rack
2.8

A rack on a vehicle for carrying bags

is focused on frameworks fixed to vehicle tops for larger or heavier loads
ski rack
vsroof rack
  • UK
3.0

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

is for many types of large items rather than those specific boards only

How Big

roof rack
2 3.1
trunk lid
  • US
2 3.5

Surface Forms

roof rack singular
roof racks plural

Morphology

roof + rack

The meaning 'a framework attached to the roof for carrying luggage' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'roof' (top covering of a vehicle) + 'rack' (a frame for holding objects). This locative compound pattern is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Roof rack comes from the simple picture of a roof and a rack: a frame on top of a car where people put suitcases or bikes. So, it means 'a framework attached to the roof of a car for carrying luggage or other large items'.