What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Raft vs Mat - What's the difference?

raft | mat |

As a noun raft

is a flat structure made of planks, barrels etc, that floats on water, and is used for transport, emergencies or a platform for swimmers or raft can be a large (but unspecified) number, a lot.

As a verb raft

is to convey on a raft or raft can be (reave).

raft

English

(wikipedia raft)

Etymology 1

From Scandinavian; compare West (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A flat structure made of planks, barrels etc., that floats on water, and is used for transport, emergencies or a platform for swimmers.
  • A flat-bottomed inflatable craft for floating or drifting on water.
  • A thick crowd of seabirds or sea mammals.
  • (US) A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. which obstructs navigation in a river.
  • (slang, informal) A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately.
  • * W. D. Howells
    • a whole raft of folks
    Derived terms
    * life raft

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • to convey on a raft
  • to make into a raft
  • to travel by raft

    • Related terms

    * rafter * whitewater rafting

    Etymology 2

    Alteration of (raff).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A large (but unspecified) number, a lot.
  • * 2007 , Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon , Blue Bridge 2008, p. 31:
    • Among those arrested was the grand master himself, Jacques de Molay, who found himself facing a raft of charges based on the specious evidence of former knights [...].

    Etymology 3

    Verb

    (head)
  • (reave)
    • (Spenser)

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    mat

    English

    (wikipedia mat)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A flat piece of coarse material used for wiping one’s feet, or as a decorative or protective floor covering.
    • Wipe your feet on the mat before coming in.
  • A small flat piece of material used to protect a surface from anything hot or rough; a coaster.
    • They put mats on the table during mealtimes.
  • (athletics) A floor pad to protect athletes.
    • The high jumper cleared the bar and landed safely on the mat .
  • A thickly tangled mess.
    • a mat''' of hair; a '''mat of weeds
  • A thick paper or paperboard border used to inset and center the contents of a frame.
    • the mat of a daguerreotype
  • A thin layer of woven, non-woven, or knitted fiber that serves as reinforcement to a material.
  • (gaming) A material or component needed for a crafting recipe
    • To make a luck potion, you need several rare herbs as mats .
    Derived terms
    * crash mat * doormat * mat slab * place mat * welcome mat

    Verb

    (matt)
  • To cover, protect or decorate with mats.
    • (Evelyn)
  • To form a thick, tangled mess; to interweave into, or like, a mat; to entangle.
  • * Dryden
    • And o'er his eyebrows hung his matted hair.

    Etymology 2

    Compare (m).

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Noun

  • (coppersmithing) An alloy of copper, tin, iron, etc.; white metal.

    • Anagrams

    * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l), (l) ----