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slingshot

American  
[sling-shot] / ˈslɪŋˌʃɒt /

noun

  1. a Y -shaped stick with an elastic strip between the prongs for shooting stones and other small missiles.

slingshot British  
/ ˈslɪŋˌʃɒt /

noun

  1. 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

  2. another name for sling 1

"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

Etymology

Origin of slingshot

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; sling 1 + shot 1

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.

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

A teenager draws his slingshot, while fighters holding prayer beads take control of a Soviet tank, and peasants clutching pitchforks face Soviet soldiers.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 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

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

Alec took it straight up until it cleared the walls of the canyon, then sent it hurtling forward like it had been launched from a slingshot.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner

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.