A variant or dialectal spelling of 'raf,' an old word for a ruffian or disreputable person.
This is an archaic or dialectal British word with uncertain origins, possibly related to 'raft' or 'raff,' meaning refuse or worthless people, with roots in Middle English.
This word is so obscure that it barely appears in modern English except in historical texts and crossword puzzles—it's a perfect example of how English constantly loses words when they're no longer useful to speakers.
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