rasp
UK/ɹɑːsp//ɹæsp/
rasp noun: a coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.
Noun (1)
rasp (plural rasps)
- A coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.
- Synonyms:
- file
- The sound made by this tool when used, or any similar sound.
- the rasp of her perpetual cough
- A group of guinea fowl
- A rasp of guinea fowl honked as 'Emma' the ostrich pecked.2025, Rory MacLean, Nick Danziger, Back in the USSR
- There was a flock - no, a rasp of guinea-fowl feeding in a garden not twenty yards away.1939, Blackwood's Magazine, volume 945, page 533
Verb
rasp (third-person singular simple present rasps, present participle rasping, simple past and past participle rasped)
- To use a rasp.
- To make a noise similar to the one a rasp makes in use; to utter rasps.
- To say in a raspy voice.
- “No. I am going to feed you to the children,” rasped Burt, his laugh rattling around his throat, prising Dad’s fingers one by one off his apron.2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN
- To work something with a rasp.
- to rasp wood to make it smooth
- to rasp bones to powder
- To grate harshly upon; to offend by coarse or rough treatment or language.
- Some sounds rasp the ear.
- His insults rasped my temper.
Noun (2)
rasp (plural rasps)
- The raspberry.
- Set sorrel amongst rasps, and the rasps will be smaller.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted...
Proper noun capitalized: RaSP
RaSP
- Abbreviation of Royalty and Specialist Protection.
rasp meaning in Assamese, Arabic, Persian and Thai
rasp in Assamese
- coarse file
- ৰেতি reti, ও ü
rasp in Arabic
- coarse file
- عَرْمُوش ʕarmūš, مِكْشَط mikšaṭ
rasp in Persian
- coarse file
- چوبسا čub-sâ
rasp in Thai
- coarse file
- บุ้ง bûng
More languagesFewer languages
- rasp in Myanmar
- ကျားလျှာ kya:hlya
Examples of rasp in a sentence
- He spoke in a rasping voice due to throat cancer.
- Kennedy’s vocal rasp is not caused by an infection or respiratory condition.
- “I place a geis upon you, my son,” I rasped, my eyes burning with impending wrath.
Synonyms of rasp
Forms of rasp
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | rasps |
| alternative form (obsolete) | resp |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | rasps |
| present participle | rasping |
| past participle | rasped |
| past | rasped |
Origin of rasp
Inherited from Middle English raspen (“to scratch, scrape”), borrowed from Old French rasper (“to grate, scratch”), from Vulgar Latin *raspāre (“to scrape; to scratch”), borrowed from Frankish *hraspōn (“to rasp or grate”), from Proto-Germanic *hraspōną (same meaning, plus “to steal”), from *hrespaną (“to tear, rip; to plunder”). Compare Old High German raspōn (“to gather, rake”), Old English ġehrespan (“to plunder”). The noun is from Middle French raspe (whence Modern French râpe), deverbal of rasper, from Old French rasper (see above).
Probably from earlier raspis (“raspberry”), mistaken as a plural. Further origin unknown.
Words formed from rasp
Phrases with rasp
Words that rhyme with rasp
Questions about rasp
- What does rasp mean?
- Rasp means a coarse file or filelike tool, on which the cutting prominences are distinct points raised by the oblique stroke of a sharp punch, instead of lines raised by a chisel, as on the true file.
- What is rasp in Assamese?
- Rasp in Assamese is ৰেতি (reti), ও (ü). See Rasp meaning in Assamese.
- What part of speech is rasp?
- Rasp can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce rasp?
- Rasp is pronounced /ɹɑːsp/ (UK).
- What is the plural of rasp?
- The plural of rasp is rasps.
Words near rasp in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: rasp (page history and authors); RaSP (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-rasp.ogg.
Cite this entry: “rasp.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/rasp. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.