slingshot
Americannoun
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
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.
Wiseman along with fellow Americans Christina Koch and Victor Glover as well as Canadian Jeremy Hansen are on a historic journey around the Moon, which they're soon due to slingshot around.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
Before he ran out of road, he pulled within sneezing distance of the car in front of him and used the draft to slingshot around into second.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
So although he was just one David against an army of Goliaths, he was not new to the practice of reloading a slingshot.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2025
"We would not accept the slingshot in the jet stream and advantage of saving fuel if the turbulence was going to be too uncomfortable", Captain Heard told me.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025
Avery had finished and was upstairs looking for his slingshot.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
