= to live dissolutely. Whence rakish (raking, rakehelly, rakely, or rakeshamed) = dissolute (B. E., c.1696); rakery (or rakishness) = blackguardism; rake-jakes = a blackguard. [Rake = abbrev. of Rakehell.]
1360. Allit. Poems [E. E. T. S.] [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 64. There is the Swedish rakel . . . to be written rake-hell in more modern times].
1542. Udall, Apop. Eras. [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 487. The old adjective rakel (promptus) from a mistaken analogy, gives birth to the phrase to rake hell].
1557. Tottel, Misc. [Arber], 11. The rakehell lyfe that longs to loues disporte.
1573. Harman, Caveat (1814), ii. All these rowsey, ragged rabblement of rakehelles.
1596. Spenser, Faerie Queene, v. xi. 44. And farre away, amid their rakehell bands, They spide a Lady left all succourlesse. Ibid., Shep. Cal., Ded. I scorne and spue out the rakehellye route of ragged rymers.
1605. Jonson, Chapman, &c., Eastward Hoe, i. 1. I turn not a drunken whore-hunting rake-hell like thyself.
1635. Long Meg. of Westminster [Nares]. Away, you foule rake-sham'd whore, quoth he, if thou pratest to mee, Ile lay thee at my foote.
d.1704. T. Brown, Dial. of Dead [Works, ii. 313]. I have been a man of the town . . . and admitted into the family of the rakehellonians.
1699. Farquhar, Constant Couple, i. 1. Whipped from behind the counter to the side-box, forswears merchandise,—where he must live by cheating,—and usurps gentility, where he may die by raking. Ibid. (1703), Inconstant, iii. 1. A wild, foppish, extravagant rake-hell,
1709. Steele, Tatler, 14. We have . . . rakes in the habit of Roman senators, and grave politicians in the dress of rakes. Ibid., 336. These Rakes are your idle Ladies of Fashion, who, having nothing to do, employ themselves in tumbling over my Ware. Ibid., No. 20. I could not but be solicitous to know of her, how she had disposed of that rakehell Punch.
1713. Shadwell, Hum. of the Army. Our rakely young Fellows live as much by their Wits as ever.
c.1728. Swift, Stella, xx. 'Tis his own fault, that will rake and drink when he is but just crawled out of his grave. Ibid., Against Abol. Christ. A rakehell of the town . . . is rewarded with a lady of great fortune to repair his own.
1740. Shenstone, Epil. to Cleone. Women hid their necks, and veil'd their faces Nor romp'd, nor rak'd, nor star'd at public places.
1742-4. North, Lord Guildford, 11. 300. He . . . instructed his lordship in all the rakery and intrigues of the lewd town.
1749. Smollett, Gil Blas (1812), 111. v. You are too forward, and have the air of a libertine; I am afraid you are no better than a downright rake.
1809. Byron, Eng. Bards and Scotch Reviewers. And every brother rake will smile to see That miracle, a moralist in me.
1831. C. Lamb, Hercules Pacificatus in Englishman's Mag. A crew of rake-*hells in terrorem Spread wide, and carried all before 'em.
1859. Tennyson, Merlin and Vivien. Nor will she rake; there is no business in her.
1866. Eliot, Felix Holt, ii. The stupid rakishness of the original heir.
1890. Globe, 7 Feb., 6, 3. The functions of his rake-helly associates are reduced to insignificance.
2. (common).—A comb: also garden-rake.
Colloquialisms are:—To rake and scrape = to pinch, to save, to play the miser; to rake in the pieces = to make money in plenty; to rake the pot = to take the stakes: see Pot; to rake out = to possess a woman; to carry heavy rakes = to put on side (q.v.); to overbear; to rake down = to scold, to drub: also as subs. rakedown = a scolding, a beating; better with a rake than a fork =
