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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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