Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

leaf-raking

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.93 in modern English

Syllables: leaf-rak-ing
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The act or process of raking leaves.

Uncountable

noun

Marginally productive government-financed employment.

American usage; Derogatory; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Relief was essential and began under Hoover; then, under Roosevelt, relief turned into leaf-raking, and leaf-raking turned into constructive enterprise."
"public agencies were to plan building programs that would do the job and preserve communities from “the necessity of feeding hungry men through the expediency of 'leaf-raking' projects or the dole or soup lines."
"Yet neither man came close to realizing his early political promise, or to forgiving the tendency of the average voter to sell his birthright for a leaf-raking job or Social Security card."

Etymology

Sense regarding employment: from the nature of some of the activities of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in the US.

Usage

Questions

What does leaf-raking mean?: The act or process of raking leaves.
Where does leaf-raking come from?: Sense regarding employment: from the nature of some of the activities of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in the US.

How to pronounce leaf-raking

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