From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Raff \Raff\ (r[.a]f), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Raffed} (r[.a]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. {Raffing}.] [OF. raffer, of German origin; cf. G. raffen; akin to E. rap to snatch. See {Rap}, and cf. {Riffraff}, {Rip} to tear.] To sweep, snatch, draw, or huddle together; to take by a promiscuous sweep. [Obs.]
Causes and effects which I thus raff up together. --Carew.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
1. A promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity; lumber; refuse. ''A raff of errors.'' --Barrow.
2. The sweepings of society; the rabble; the mob; -- chiefly used in the compound or duplicate, riffraff.
{Raff merchant}, a dealer in lumber and odd refuse. [Prov. Eng.]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
28 Moby Thesaurus words for "raff": cattle, chaff, clamjamfry, debris, dregs, dregs of society, dust, junk, litter, lumber, masses, mob, offscourings, offscum, other half, proletariat, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rubbish, rubble, scrap, scum, shoddy, sordes, swinish multitude, trash, truck, vermin
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Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
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