late 14c., "remove by scraping, rub, scrape out, erase," from Old French raser "to scrape, shave," from Medieval Latin rasare, frequentative of Latin radere (past participle rasus) "to scrape, shave," from Proto-Italic *rasd- (source also of Latin rastrum "rake"), possibly from an extended form of PIE root *red- "to scrape, scratch, gnaw." Related: Rased; rasing.