A rake is an angle of slope measured from horizontal, or from a vertical line 90° perpendicular to horizontal.

A 60° rake would mean that the line is pointing 60 up from horizontal, either forwards or backwards relative to the object.

Use

There are many ways in which the term can be used.

The rake of a ships prow

Prow

thumb|right|295pxThe prow is the forward most part of a ship's bow that cuts through the water. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. The terms prow and bow are often used interchangeably to describe the most forward part of a ship and its surrounding parts...

 measures the angle at which the prow rises from the water (the rake below water being called the bow

Bow (ship)

The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...

 rake). A motorcycle or bicycle fork rake measures the angle at which the forks are angled down towards the ground.

In machining the rake angle

Rake angle

Rake angle is a parameter used in various cutting and machining processes, describing the angle of the cutting face relative to the work. There are three types of rake angles: positive, negative, and zero...

 is that which measures the cutting angle of the cutting head to the object being worked on. In geology it measures the angles

Rake (geology)

In structural geology rake is formally defined as "the angle between a line [or a feature] and the strike line of the plane in which it is found", measured on the plane. The three dimensional orientation of a line can be described with just a plunge and trend. The rake is a useful description of...

 at which one rock moves against another in a geological fault.

In a theatre or opera house the stage can be raked

Rake (theatre)

English theatre stages in the Middle Ages and early Modern era typically sloped upwards away from the audience. This is known as a rake or raked stage and improves the view for the audience....

to slope up towards the back of the stage to allow better viewing for the audience.