a light bat having a netting of catgut or nylon stretched in a more or less oval frame and used for striking the ball in tennis, the shuttlecock in badminton, etc.
the short-handled paddle used to strike the ball in table tennis.
a noisy disturbance or loud commotion; clamour; din
gay or excited revelry, dissipation, etc
an illegal enterprise carried on for profit, such as extortion, fraud, prostitution, drug peddling, etc
slanga business or occupationwhat's your racket?
music
a medieval woodwind instrument of deep bass pitch
a reed stop on an organ of deep bass pitch
verb
(intr often foll by about) rareto go about gaily or noisily, in search of pleasure, excitement, etc
Word Origin for racket
C16: probably of imitative origin; compare rattle1
racket
2
racquet
noun
a bat consisting of an open network of nylon or other strings stretched in an oval frame with a handle, used to strike the ball in tennis, badminton, etc
a snowshoe shaped like a tennis racket
verb
(tr)to strike (a ball, shuttlecock, etc) with a racket
"handled hitting device used in tennis, etc.," c.1500, probably originally "tennis-like game played with open hand" (late 14c.), from Middle French rachette, requette (Modern French raquette) "racket for hitting; palm of the hand," perhaps via Italian racchetta or Spanish raqueta, both from Arabic rahat, a form of raha "palm of the hand." Cf. French jeu de paume "tennis," literally "play with the palm of the hand" (cf. tennis).
racket
n.1
"loud noise," 1560s, perhaps imitative. Klein compares Gaelic racaid "noise." Meaning "dishonest activity" (1785) is perhaps from racquet, via notion of "game," reinforced by rack-rent "extortionate rent" (1590s), from rack (n.1).
racket
n.2
"handled paddle or netted bat used in tennis, etc.;" see racquet.
