ра́ка

uncommon #6942

nounfeminineinanimatecountable

1.
shrine, reliquary, tomb (of a saint)religion
Мощи святого поко́ятся в сере́бряной ра́ке.
The saint's relics rest in a silver shrine.
Chiefly Orthodox church usage: an ornate coffin-shaped container holding a saint's relics.
2.
(rare) good-for-nothing, empty-head, scoundrelreligion
Кто ска́жет бра́ту своему́: «рака́», подлежи́т суду́.
Whoever says to his brother 'You good-for-nothing' shall be liable to judgement.
Biblical (Matthew 5:22), from Aramaic; used only as a term of abuse, stressed on the last syllable.
3.
(rare) raw distillate, low wine, home-distilled spiritdistilling
Ра́ку перегоня́ют ещё раз, что́бы получи́ть кре́пкий спирт.
The raw distillate is run through again to get strong spirit.
Technical term in distilling: the weak spirit obtained from the first run of the mash.

Examples

В храме хранится рака с мощами святого.
The church houses a shrine containing the relics of a saint.
Раку украшали золотом и драгоценными камнями.
The shrine was decorated with gold and precious stones.
Туристы подошли к древней раке в соборе.
The tourists approached the ancient shrine in the cathedral.