rack one's brain | rack brain
Contents1English1.1Alternativeforms[2]1.2Etymology[3]1.3Pronunciation[4]1.4Verb1.4.1Translations[6]1.4.2Seealso[7][5]1.5References[8][1]English[edit]Alternativeforms[edit]rackonesbrains[9]wrackonesbrain[10]wrackonesbrains[11]Etymology[edit]Combinationofrack[12](“medievaltorturemethod”),andbrain[13],thusmeaning“tocausethemindextremediscomfort”.Variantsincluderackoneswit[14](1583)andrackonesmemory[15],[1]aswellascudgelonesbrain[16]/cudgelonesbrains[17].Pronunciation[edit]Audio(AU)(file[18])Ver...
Contents
1 English 1.1 Alternative forms[2] 1.2 Etymology[3] 1.3 Pronunciation[4] 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Translations[6] 1.4.2 See also[7] [5] 1.5 References[8] [1] English[edit] Alternative forms[edit] rack ones brains[9] wrack ones brain[10] wrack ones brains[11]Etymology[edit]Combination of rack[12] (“medieval torture method”), and brain[13], thus meaning “to cause the mind extreme discomfort”.
Variants include rack ones wit[14] (1583) and rack ones memory[15],[1] as well as cudgel ones brain[16] / cudgel ones brains[17].
Pronunciation[edit] Audio (AU)(file[18])Verb[edit]rack ones brain[19][20][21] (third-person singular simple present racks ones brain[22], present participle racking ones brain[23], simple past and past participle racked ones brain[24])
(figuratively[25]) To struggle to think of or remember something. I have been racking my brain all day trying to think of a birthday present for her.[26][27][28]Translations[edit]struggle to think of so...