Raft is a science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter. The story of humans struggling to survive after being accidentally transported 500 years ago into a universe where the force of gravity is one billion times stronger than ours. Stars are only a mile across, and burn out within a year, even people have a detectable gravity field

But their ramshackle wreck of a ship, the Raft, is in danger....

This is Stephen Baxter's first book; links and references to this imagined universe can be found in some of his other novels.

Raft (?), obs.

imp. & p. p. of Reave.

Spenser.

 

© Webster 1913.


Raft, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. rafo, ravo, a beam, rafter, Icel. raf roof. Cf. Rafter, n.]

1.

A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened, together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float.

2.

A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation.

[U.S.]

3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.]

A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately.

[Slang, U. S.] "A whole raft of folks."

W. D. Howells.

Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together. -- Raft duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] Zool. (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead. -- Raft port Naut., a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.

 

© Webster 1913.


Raft, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Rafted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rafting.]

To transport on a raft, or in the form of a raft; to make into a raft; as, to raft timber.

 

© Webster 1913.

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