Chapter Racemed to Radeau of R by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

To rack one's brains

or wits, to exert them to the utmost for the purpose of accomplishing something.

Syn. — To torture; torment; rend; tear.

Rackabones
(Rack"a*bones`) n. A very lean animal, esp. a horse. [Colloq. U. S.]

Racker
(Rack"er) n.

1. One who racks.

2. A horse that has a racking gait.

Racket
(Rack"et) n. [F. raquette; cf. Sp. raqueta, It. racchetta, which is perhaps for retichetta, and fr. L. rete a net (cf. Reticule); or perh. from the Arabic; cf. Ar. raha the palm of the hand and OF. rachette, rasquette, carpus, tarsus.] [Written also racquet.]

1. A thin strip of wood, having the ends brought together, forming a somewhat elliptical hoop, across which a network of catgut or cord is stretched. It is furnished with a handle, and is used for catching or striking a ball in tennis and similar games.

Each one [of the Indians] has a bat curved like a crosier, and ending in a racket.

Bancroft.

2. A variety of the game of tennis played with peculiar long-handled rackets; — chiefly in the plural. Chaucer.

3. A snowshoe formed of cords stretched across a long and narrow frame of light wood. [Canada]

4. A broad wooden shoe or patten for a man or horse, to enable him to step on marshy or soft ground.

Racket court, a court for playing the game of rackets.

Racket
(Rack"et), v. t. To strike with, or as with, a racket.

Poor man [is] racketed from one temptation to another.

Hewyt.

Racket
(Rack"et), n. [Gael. racaid a noise, disturbance.]

1. Confused, clattering noise; din; noisy talk or sport.

2. A carouse; any reckless dissipation. [Slang]

Racket
(Rack"et), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Racketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Racketing.]

1. To make a confused noise or racket.

2. To engage in noisy sport; to frolic. Sterne.

3. To carouse or engage in dissipation. [Slang]

Racketer
(Rack"et*er) n. One who makes, or engages in, a racket.

Rackett
(Rack"ett) n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Mus.) An old wind instrument of the double bassoon kind, having ventages but not keys.

Racket-tail
(Rack"et-tail`) n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of humming birds of the genus Steganura, having two of the tail feathers very long and racket-shaped.

Racket-tailed
(Rack"et-tailed`) a. (Zoöl.) Having long and spatulate, or racket-shaped, tail feathers.