racket

1 of 3

noun (1)

rack·​et ˈra-kət How to pronounce racket (audio)
variants or racquet
1
: a lightweight implement that consists of a netting (as of nylon) stretched in a usually oval open frame with a handle attached and that is used for striking the ball or shuttlecock in various games (such as tennis, racquets, or badminton)
2
usually racquets plural in form but singular in construction : a game for two or four players with ball and racket on a 4-walled court

Illustration of racket

Illustration of racket
  • A tennis
  • B racquetball
  • C badminton

racket

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: confused clattering noise : clamor
2
a
: social whirl or excitement
b
: the strain of exciting or trying experiences
3
a
: a fraudulent scheme, enterprise, or activity
b
: a usually illegitimate enterprise made workable by bribery or intimidation
c
: an easy and lucrative means of livelihood
d
slang : occupation, business

racket

3 of 3

verb

racketed; racketing; rackets

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in active social life
2
: to move with or make a racket

Examples of racket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of us is really good; the other (me) has never picked up a racket in her life. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Moments after the two shook hands and exchanged words, Gauff knelt down on one knee, braced herself with her racket, and prayed. Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024 Henry had always hoped that Shawn would become a detective, but the retired cop is not thrilled with his son's racket. Danny Horn, EW.com, 13 Feb. 2024 Black drum fish tend to mate—and fill the sea with their amorous racket—on winter nights, which might explain the uptick in noise residents hear around this time of year. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 Both players used their rackets to push the bugs away from the court after the eighth game, and Alcaraz was at it again after the first set. John Pye, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024 The hour was filled with tactical, not emotional, advice—bend your knees, eyes stay down, finish high, catch the racket. Zibby Owens, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2024 To understand how Jimmy Butler grew to love the racket sport of padel is to understand the essence of Butler. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2024 But – as the world’s fastest growing racket sport, boasting investment from stars such as Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Robert Lewandowski and Longoria herself – padel appears to be on the brink of breaking into the sporting mainstream. Amanda Davies, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'racket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle French raquette, ultimately from Medieval Latin rasceta wrist, carpus, modification of Arabic rusgh wrist

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of racket was circa 1520

Dictionary Entries Near racket

Cite this Entry

“Racket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racket. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

racket

1 of 3 noun
rack·​et
variants or racquet
1
: a light implement consisting of a handle attached to an open frame with a network of strings stretched across it that is used to hit the object in play (as a ball) in various games (as tennis, badminton, or racquetball)
2

racket

2 of 3 noun
1
: a loud confused noise
2
a
: a dishonest scheme for obtaining money (as by cheating or threats)
b
: an easy way to make money or earn a living
is that all you do? What a racket

racket

3 of 3 verb
: to make a racket
Etymology

Noun

from early French raquette "racket" derived from Latin rasceta "wrist," from Arabic rusgh (same meaning)

Noun

origin unknown

More from Merriam-Webster on racket

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!