Rake (tool)

A rake (Old English raca, cognate with Dutch hark, German Rechen or Harke, from the root meaning 'to scrape together', 'heap up') is a broom for outside use; a versatile horticultural implement consisting of a toothed bar fixed transversely to a handle, or tines fixed to a handle, and used to collect leaves, hay, grass, and in gardening, for loosening the soil, light weeding and to make furrows, mounds and levelling, removing dead grass from lawns, and generally for purposes performed in agriculture by the harrow. Depending on purpose, their materials and form will vary greatly. Large mechanized versions of rakes are used in farming, called hay rakes, are built in many different forms (e.g. star-wheel rakes, rotary rakes). Non mechanized farming may be done with various forms of a hand rake. Rakes can be a mechanical component of a Threshing machine.

A rake (Old English raca, cognate with Dutch hark, German Rechen or Harke, from the root meaning 'to scrape together', 'heap up') is a broom for outside use; a versatile horticultural implement consisting of a toothed bar fixed transversely to a handle, or tines fixed to a handle, and used to collect leaves, hay, grass, and in gardening, for loosening the soil, light weeding and to make furrows, mounds and levelling, removing dead grass from lawns, and generally for purposes performed in agriculture by the harrow. Depending on purpose, their materials and form will vary greatly. Large mechanized versions of rakes are used in farming, called hay rakes, are built in many different forms (e.g. star-wheel rakes, rotary rakes). Non mechanized farming may be done with various forms of a hand rake. Rakes can be a mechanical component of a Threshing machine. ==Cultural associations== If a rake lies in the ground with the teeth facing upwards, as shown on the top picture, and someone accidentally steps on the teeth, the rake's handle can swing rapidly upwards, colliding with the victim's face. This is often seen in slapstick comedy such as the Pink Panther Strikes Again and cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry and The Simpsons episode "Cape Feare", wherein a series of rakes become what Sideshow Bob describes as his "arch-nemesis". There is a Russian saying "to step on the same rake" ( ), which means "to repeat the same silly mistake", also the word "rake" ( ) in Russian slang means "troubles". In the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, the major character Zhu Bajie wields a rake, his "Nine-toothed rake" (Jiǔchǐdīngpá), as his signatory weapon. In Japanese folklore, the Kumade (熊手, lit. 'bear hand') is a rake; a smaller, handheld, decorated version is sold as an engimono, often during Tori-no-Ichi (lit. "Rooster markets) which take place throughout Japan each November, and is believed to be able to, literally, rake-in good-fortune and/or rake-out bad-fortune for the user. ==See also== Aeration Besom Fire flapper Fire rake McLeod Pulaski Soil ==References==

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362434132 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.