racquet

[rak-it]

noun

racquets, (used with a singular verb) a game played with rackets and a ball by two or four persons on a four-walled court.

racket²(defs 1, 2, 4).

Nearby words

Origin of racquet

variant of racket²

Can be confusedracket racquet

racket

[rak-it]

noun

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.

rackets, (used with a singular verb) racquet(def 1).

a snowshoe made in the form of a tennis racket.

Also rac·quet (for defs 1, 2, 4).

Origin of racket

1490–1500; < Middle French raquette, rachette, perhaps < Arabic rāḥet, variant of rāḥah palm of the hand

Related formsrack·et·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for racquet

He tweaked his racquet size, the tennis equivalent of flailing in the water.
Roger Federer’s U.S. Open Defeat Was Bad, but He’s Not Dead Yet|Sujay Kumar|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“We practically never touched a racquet until within a few days ago,” said Harriet.
The Meadow-Brook Girls on the Tennis Courts|Janet Aldridge
Betty grasped her racquet by the extreme end of its handle, and held the ball as high above her head as she could reach.
A Book o' Nine Tales.|Arlo Bates
M. Alphonse threw his racquet on the ground in a furious rage.
Abb Aubain and Mosaics|Prosper Mrime

He used to come down from London with his racquet and play tennis with us.
Second Plays|A. A. Milne
I went with Laffan to the Racquet Club the other night and played, billiards two hours without starting up any rheumatism.
The Letters Of Mark Twain, Volume 4, 1886-1900|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

British Dictionary definitions for racquet

racquet

noun

a variant spelling of racket 2

racket

noun

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

slang a 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) rare to go about gaily or noisily, in search of pleasure, excitement, etc

Word Origin for racket

C16: probably of imitative origin; compare rattle 1

racket

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

Word Origin for racket

C16: from French raquette, from Arabic rāhat palm of the hand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for racquet

racquet

"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.