Raft, n.
 1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float.
 2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation. [U.S.]
 3.  A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] “A whole raft of folks.”
 Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together.
 Raft duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] Zool. (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead.
 Raft port Naut., a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.


 Scaup n.
 1. A bed or stratum of shellfish; scalp. [Scot.]
 2. Zool. A scaup duck. See below.
 Scaup duck Zool., any one of several species of northern ducks of the genus Aythya, or Fuligula. The adult males are, in large part, black. The three North American species are: the greater scaup duck (Aythya marila, var. nearctica), called also broadbill, bluebill, blackhead, flock duck, flocking fowl, and raft duck; the lesser scaup duck (Aythya affinis), called also little bluebill, river broadbill, and shuffler; the tufted, or ring-necked, scaup duck (Aythya collaris), called also black jack, ringneck, ringbill, ringbill shuffler, etc. See Illust. of Ring-necked duck, under Ring-necked. The common European scaup, or mussel, duck (Aythya marila), closely resembles the American variety.

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 Broad·bill n.
 1. Zool. A wild duck (Aythya marila, or Fuligula marila), which appears in large numbers on the eastern coast of the United States, in autumn; -- called also bluebill, blackhead, raft duck, and scaup duck. See Scaup duck.
 2. Zool. The shoveler. See Shoveler.

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