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Ferret vs Rake - What's the difference?

ferret | rake |

As nouns the difference between ferret and rake

is that ferret is an often domesticated mammal rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals while rake is a garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.

As verbs the difference between ferret and rake

is that ferret is to hunt game with ferrets while rake is to use a rake on (leaves, debris, soil, a lawn, etc) in order to loosen, gather together, or remove debris from.

ferret

English

(wikipedia ferret)

Etymology 1

(etyl) furet, ferret, from (etyl) firet, furet, diminutive of (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • An often domesticated mammal rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
  • The (black-footed ferret), .
  • A diligent searcher.
    • Synonyms
    * (domesticated polecat) Mustela putorius furo

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To hunt game with ferrets.
  • To uncover and bring to light by searching; usually to ferret out .
  • * Shakespeare
    • Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.
  • * 1922 , (Virginia Woolf), (w, Jacob's Room) Chapter 1
    • She ferreted in her bag; then held it up mouth downwards; then fumbled in her lap, all so vigorously that Charles Steele in the Panama hat suspended his paint-brush.

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) fioretto

    Noun

  • (dated) A tape of silk, cotton, or ribbon, used to tie documents, clothing, etc. or along the edge of fabric.
  • * Charles Dickens, Bleak House
    • red tape and green ferret
    ----

    rake

    English

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    Etymology 1

    (etyl) raca, from (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A garden tool with a row of pointed teeth fixed to a long handle, used for collecting grass or debris, or for loosening soil.
  • *
  • *:Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake -handle served as a shaft.
  • A lot, plenty.
  • :
  • (lb) The direction of slip during fault movement. The rake is measured within the fault plane.
  • (lb) The sloped edge of a roof at or adjacent to the first or last rafter.
  • (lb) A set of coupled rail vehicles, normally coaches or wagons.
  • :
  • (lb) A puffer that emits a stream of spaceships rather than a trail of debris.
  • The scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a poker game.
  • A toothed machine drawn by a horse, used for collecting hay or grain; a horserake.
  • (lb) A fissure or mineral vein traversing the strata vertically, or nearly so.
    • Synonyms
    * (rail transport)
    Derived terms
    * thin as a rake

    Verb

    (rak)
  • To use a rake on (leaves, debris, soil, a lawn, etc) in order to loosen, gather together, or remove debris from.
    • We raked all the leaves into a pile
  • To search thoroughly.
    • Detectives appeared, roped the curious people out of the grounds, and raked the place for clews. -- Captain John Blaine
  • * Dryden
    • raking in Chaucer for antiquated words
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • The statesman rakes the town to find a plot.
  • To spray with gunfire.
    • the enemy machine guns raked the roadway
  • To claw at; to scratch.
    • Her sharp fingernails raked the side of my face.
  • * Wordsworth
    • like clouds that rake the mountain summits
  • To gather, especially quickly (often as rake in)
    • The casino is just raking in the cash; it's like a license to print money.
  • To pass with violence or rapidity; to scrape along.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • Pas could not stay, but over him did rake .
    Synonyms
    * (search thoroughly) comb, go over or through with a fine-tooth comb, scour

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) raken, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Slope, divergence from the horizontal or perpendicular

    • Verb

    (rak)
  • To proceed rapidly; to move swiftly.
  • (obsolete) To guide; to direct
  • To incline from a perpendicular direction.
    • A mast rakes aft.

    Etymology 3

    Shortening of rakehell, possibly from

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A man habituated to immoral conduct.
    • We now have rakes in the habit of Roman senators, and grave politicians in the dress of Rakes. — the Spectator
    Synonyms
    *

    Verb

    (rak)
  • (UK, dialect, dated) To walk about; to gad or ramble idly.
  • (UK, dialect, dated) To act the rake; to lead a dissolute, debauched life.
    • (Shenstone)

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (provincial, Northern England) a course; direction; stretch.
  • (provincial, Northern England, for animals) a range, stray.
    • a sheep-raik'' = a ''sheep-walk

    Verb

    (rak)
  • (provincial, Northern England) To run or rove.

    • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * English terms with multiple etymologies ----