ricochet

[ rik-uh-shey, rik-uh-shey or, especially British, rik-uh-shet ]

/ ˈrɪk əˌʃeɪ, ˌrɪk əˈʃeɪ or, especially British, ˈrɪk əˌʃɛt /

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See synonyms for: ricochet / ricocheted on Thesaurus.com

noun

the motion of an object or a projectile in rebounding or deflecting from a surface one or more times as a result of a glancing blow.

verb (used without object), ric·o·cheted [rik-uh-sheyd, rik-uh-sheyd], /ˈrɪk əˌʃeɪd, ˌrɪk əˈʃeɪd/, ric·o·chet·ing [rik-uh-shey-ing, rik-uh-shey-ing] /ˈrɪk əˌʃeɪ ɪŋ, ˌrɪk əˈʃeɪ ɪŋ/ or (especially British) ric·o·chet·ted

[rik-uh-shet-id], /ˈrɪk əˌʃɛt ɪd/, ric·o·chet·ting

[rik-uh-shet-ing]. /ˈrɪk əˌʃɛt ɪŋ/.

to move by rebounding or deflecting from a surface, as a projectile.

OTHER WORDS FOR ricochet

2 rebound, deflect, glance.

See synonyms for ricochet on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ricochet

First recorded in 1760–70; from French; further origin uncertain

Words nearby ricochet

rickrack, rickshaw, Ricky, ricky-tick, RICO, ricochet, Ricoeur, ricotta, RICS, rictal bristle, rictus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ricochet in a sentence

Ezra Klein also makes a compelling case that such ricochet legislating would be tamped down by voters holding both sides accountable for what they pass — or repeal.
A filibuster-free Senate? Here’s what Democrats and Republicans could pass.|Aaron Blake|June 23, 2021|Washington Post
Luck starts many, many years before scoring a goal that ricochet’s off a defender’s foot.
‘The Dream Architects’: Inside the making of gaming’s biggest franchises|Rachel King|September 1, 2020|Fortune
Overnight, a bar owner was shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet.
In Rome’s Riots, Cries for Mussolini and Attacks on Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the same time, there are those who ricochet between denial and rationalization.
The Mayor McCrack Show|Jonathan Goldsbie|November 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

As they talked, standing beside the river, Ren watched the flat stones he threw ricochet on the water.
The Red City|S. Weir Mitchell
The general ricochet of the whole over pits and prominences had the gravest pitch of the chime.
Return of the Native|Thomas Hardy
But he glanced along the port side, like a toboggan down-hill, and he seemed to ricochet over the water.
Tales of Fishes|Zane Grey
His pistol barked once, sending a singing ricochet along the hall.
The Penal Cluster|Ivar Jorgensen (AKA Randall Garrett)
Nothing could ruffle Tacony, or produce one false step: he flew round the course, every stride like the ricochet of a 32lb.
Lands of the Slave and the Free|Henry A. Murray

British Dictionary definitions for ricochet

ricochet

/ (ˈrɪkəˌʃeɪ, ˈrɪkəˌʃɛt) /

verb -chets, -cheting (-ˌʃeɪɪŋ), -cheted (-ˌʃeɪd), -chets, -chetting (-ˌʃɛtɪŋ) or -chetted (-ˌʃɛtɪd)

(intr) (esp of a bullet) to rebound from a surface or surfaces, usually with a characteristic whining or zipping sound

noun

the motion or sound of a rebounding object, esp a bullet

an object, esp a bullet, that ricochets

Word Origin for ricochet

C18: from French, of unknown origin

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

ricochet

OTHER WORDS FOR ricochet

Origin of ricochet

Words nearby ricochet

Words related to ricochet

How to use ricochet in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ricochet

Word Origin for ricochet