Raft"er (r&adot;ft"&etilde;r), n. A raftsman.

Raft"er, n. [AS. ræfter; akin to E. raft, n. See Raft.] (Arch.) Originally, any rough and somewhat heavy piece of timber. Now, commonly, one of the timbers of a roof which are put on sloping, according to the inclination of the roof. See Illust. of Queen-post.

[Courtesy] oft is sooner found in lowly sheds,
With smoky rafters, than in tapestry halls.

Raft"er, v. t. 1. To make into rafters, as timber.

2. To furnish with rafters, as a house.

3. (Agric.) To plow so as to turn the grass side of each furrow upon an unplowed ridge; to ridge. [Eng.]

• one of the sloping beams that support a pitched roof