slingshot
Americannoun
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slingshots
plural
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
It has an eight-year cruise with flybys of Earth and Venus to slingshot it to Jupiter.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
The opportunity to slingshot yourself onto the radar of upper management will be limited only by curiosity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The astronauts must adhere to a sleep routine to ensure they're rested for the mission that will see them slingshot around the Moon and conduct a battery of test maneuvers, equipment checks and scientific observations.
From Barron's ● Apr. 4, 2026
Catapult crimes are not included in official statistics, so BBC Verify sent Freedom of Information requests to police forces in England and Wales, asking for crime records which mentioned the words "catapult" or "slingshot".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
And Mutto had something new with him this day: a slingshot.
From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli
Fernando, Osmin and their two younger brothers spent their free time shooting slingshots and riding ATVs around acres of dirt roads and fields that belonged to the company where their parents worked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
After the spacecraft slingshots past the Moon, the astronauts begin their four-day journey home, drawn back with the help of the Earth's gravity.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
Paintball guns and slingshots are legally considered weapons and are not allowed in national parks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2024
In 1935, two men armed with slingshots headed to Central Park to hunt.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2024
I was as good as he with both slingshots and painstakingly constructed bows and arrows, with which I could drop birds in flight.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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