slingshot
Americannoun
noun
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): catapult. a Y-shaped implement with a loop of elastic fastened to the ends of the two prongs, used mainly by children for shooting small stones, etc
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another name for sling 1
Etymology
Origin of slingshot
Explanation
A slingshot is a small toy or weapon that you can use for "shooting" stones. You might take aim at some old metal cans on a wall, knocking them off one by one with your slingshot. A slingshot works like a small catapult, with rubber strips holding a pocket where the stone or other projectile sits. When you pull the pocket back and release it, the stone is projected forward. Slingshots are simple in design, but they're relatively modern inventions that rely on rubber, which was invented in 1839. The earliest use of slingshots was mainly by young troublemakers. The ammunition in a slingshot is sometimes referred to as a sling-stone.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It will continue to produce other on-road vehicles, including the three-wheeled roadster called the Slingshot.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025
The video showed someone driving a Polaris Slingshot through a darkened road at night, blasting hip-hop music.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2024
Last week it was announced she had been appointed as general manager of US based space data and tracking company Slingshot Seradata.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2023
“We took these steps to ensure continued operations conform to applicable standards and recommendations,” said Trevor Arnold, attorney for Orlando Slingshot.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2022
I made a lot of Mood Slingshot Maneuvers that afternoon.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
