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“Rack” or “Wrack”

rack / wrack are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

rack r·AE·k

  • nounframework for holding objects.
  • nounrib section of a forequarter of veal or pork or especially lamb or mutton.
  • nounan instrument of torture that stretches or disjoints or mutilates victims.
  • nouna support for displaying various articles.
  • nouna form of torture in which pain is inflicted by stretching the body.
  • nouna rapid gait of a horse in which each foot strikes the ground separately.
  • verbstretch to the limits.
  • verbput on a rack and pinion.
  • verbfly in high wind.
  • verbdraw off from the lees.
  • verbwork on a rack.
  • verbseize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block.
  • verbtorture on the rack.

wrack r·AE·k

  • noundried seaweed especially that cast ashore.
  • nounthe destruction or collapse of something.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“rack”

  • 5 = rack server,
  • Rack Room Shoes
  • …the dialogue, he hits a rack in his room.
  • …on its side in a rack
  • A clothing rack, that normally players would use…
  • …daring plan: attach a bomb rack to the fighter to bomb…
  • …fellow rapper Tyga's smash hit, "Rack City" to his official YouTube
  • …with shock absorbers and automotive rack and pinion steering.
  • Roose was tortured on the rack, where he admitted to putting…
  • …Andes, it used the Abt rack railway system for several kilometers.

“wrack”

  • Wrack and Rune (1982)

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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