# raft

/ˈɹæft/ (US) · /ɹˈɑːft/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/raft
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. floating platform

noun · CEFR B1

a flat boat made of logs or other materials that floats on water.

For teachers: a flat-bottomed craft, often constructed from logs or planks, used for transport or as a stable waterborne platform.

- The children built a wooden raft to float across the pond.
- The survivors constructed a makeshift raft from debris, hoping the current would carry them toward the shipping lanes.

### 2. a large number

noun · CEFR B2

a large number or collection of things.

For teachers: a large, often unspecified, number or collection of items or issues.

- The government introduced a raft of new measures to improve the economy.
- The new CEO implemented a raft of structural changes designed to streamline production and reduce overhead costs.

### 3. cooking/consommé

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a layer of egg whites and meat that clears a soup while it cooks.

For teachers: a mass of congealed solids, primarily egg whites, that forms on the surface of a consommé to clarify it by trapping impurities.

- The chef carefully removed the raft from the top of the clear soup.
- To achieve a perfectly clear consommé, the chef allowed the raft to simmer undisturbed before straining the liquid through cheesecloth.

### 4. slice of toast

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang

a piece of toasted bread.

For teachers: a slice of toast, typically used as a base for other ingredients.

- I'll have two eggs on a raft for breakfast, please.
- The diner menu featured 'Adam and Eve on a raft' as a humorous name for two poached eggs on toast.

Teaching tip: This sense is mostly found in old-fashioned American diner slang and is rarely used in modern daily conversation.

### 5. to travel by raft

verb · CEFR B2

to travel on a river using a raft.

For teachers: to travel or transport goods by means of a raft; often used intransitively.

- They spent the weekend rafting down the Colorado River.
- The expedition planned to raft the length of the river, documenting the flora and fauna along the banks.

## Examples

- The company introduced a raft of new measures to save money.
- The government is facing a raft of criticism following the release of the latest economic report.
- In response to the recent security breach, the IT department implemented a raft of protocols designed to fortify the network against future external threats.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.