3.a flat floating structure that you can sit on, jump from etc when you are swimming 〔可供游泳者坐于其上、跳水等的〕浮台
4.TTWTTAa small flat rubber boat filled with air, used for example if a boat sinks 充气(救生)橡皮筏
Examples from the Corpus
raft• Closing a raft of uselessfederal establishments will get rid of only some 80,000 of them.• When you move abroad you face a raft of financialdecisions, including which type of bankaccount to open.• She needed a proper boat, not a raft.• A raft of foreign-owned firms have built new factories.• He greeted Collingridge's downfall like a drowning man discovers a life raft.• The waves which lapped over the stern of the raft were our waste-disposal system.• When the raftbumped on the sand, the fishermen could step ashore only kneedeep in the water.• The raft is built and on its way.
From Longman Business Dictionary
raftraft /rɑːftræft/ noun
a raft of something a large number of things
There has been a raft of new laws aimed at giving better protection to children in the past few years.
Originraft
1. (1200-1300)Old Norseraptr“large piece of wood, rafter”
2. (1800-1900)raff“mixture of things”((17-19 centuries)), influenced by → RAFT1
ADJECTIVE | VERB + RAFT | RAFT + VERB | RAFT + NOUN | PREPOSITIONADJECTIVE➤life救生筏➤inflatable, rubber充氣筏;橡皮筏➤makeshift臨時代用的木筏VERB + RAFT➤build, make建造木筏;製造木排◇They built a raft of logs.他們造了一個木筏。➤inflate給筏子充氣◇The two airmen inflated the life raft.兩位飛行員給救生筏充了氣。➤paddle划木筏◇We paddled the raft to the shore.我們將木筏划向岸邊。RAFT + VERB➤float木排漂浮◇The raft floated away down the river.木排順河漂走了。➤capsize, overturn木筏傾覆RAFT + NOUN➤race (especially BrE) 划筏比賽PREPOSITION➤on a/the raft, onto a/the raft在木筏上;到木筏上◇He was found floating on a raft.人們發現他在木筏上漂着。