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ratchet - definition and meaning
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A mechanism consisting of a pawl that engages the sloping teeth of a wheel or bar, permitting motion in one direction only.
- noun The pawl, wheel, or bar of this mechanism.
- intransitive verb To cause to increase or decrease by increments.
- intransitive verb To increase or decrease by increments.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A detent or pivoted piece designed to fit into the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, permitting the wheel to rotate in one direction, but not in the other.
- noun In printing, a notched straight blade of brass which rotates the pinions attached to the movable clamps of an electrotype plate mounted upon a block.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A pawl, click, or detent, for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc.
- noun A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch, and pawl. See Ratchet wheel, below, and 2d
Ratch . - noun (Mech.) a boring brace, having a ratchet wheel and pawl for rotating the tool by back and forth movements of the brace handle.
- noun a portable machine for working a drill by hand, consisting of a hand lever carrying at one end a drill holder which is revolved by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl, by swinging the lever back and forth.
- noun (Mach.) a circular wheel having teeth, usually angular, with which a reciprocating pawl engages to turn the wheel forward, or a stationary pawl to hold it from turning backward.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
pawl ,click , ordetent for holding or propelling aratchet wheel , orratch , etc. - noun A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch and pawl.
- noun A
ratchet wrench . - noun A
procedure orregulation that goes in one direction, usually up. - verb transitive To cause to become incremented or decremented.
- verb intransitive To increment or decrement.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb move by degrees in one direction only
- noun mechanical device consisting of a toothed wheel or rack engaged with a pawl that permits it to move in only one direction
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[French rochet, from Old French rocquet, head of a lance (from the shape of the teeth), of Germanic origin.]
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Examples
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Maybe you believe government spending has a built in ratchet that prevents it from ever really coming down, no matter what party is in power.
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In a moment, opening certain ratchet-holes in the wall of the carriage, he has slided these in at a suitable height above, and covered each with cushions and sleeping-rug.
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But you just noted that it was more like a ratchet, which isn't a motor.
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Every mechanic knows that a ratchet is a toothed wheel or bar used to prevent a gizmo from moving backward.
No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003
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Every mechanic knows that a ratchet is a toothed wheel or bar used to prevent a gizmo from moving backward.
No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003
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Every mechanic knows that a ratchet is a toothed wheel or bar used to prevent a gizmo from moving backward.
No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003
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Every mechanic knows that a ratchet is a toothed wheel or bar used to prevent a gizmo from moving backward.
No Uncertain Terms William Safire 2003
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It has been defanged a bit over the years, starting with Referendum C, which got rid of the so-called ratchet effect and allowed a five-year timeout on revenue limits, so the state could keep the money it collected over TABOR limits.
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It has been defanged a bit over the years, starting with Referendum C, which got rid of the so-called ratchet effect and allowed a five-year timeout on revenue limits, so the state could keep the money it collected over TABOR limits.
Denver Post: News: Breaking: Local / By The Denver Post 2010
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He thinks that so long as the total city budget has grown year to year, and it has, that the ratchet is a myth.
ecbrenner commented on the word ratchet
I love this word. I can almost hear the wheel moving.
September 9, 2009
yarb commented on the word ratchet
Yes! Rrrat-chet. Rrrat-chet.
September 10, 2009
alexz commented on the word ratchet
I'm seeing this word being used as slang for old, 'worn out' or wretched.
Note the example tweets.
"all these old ratchet pictures & messages"
"I hate that ratchet word"
"Its some ratchet folks in Bertie, lord knows"
April 24, 2014
ry commented on the word ratchet
the slang term is definitely a misspelling/mispronunciation of the word wretched. With that rendering has developed a somewhat more specific usage, at least on twitter, as some kind of derogatory term for women. see the Urbandictionary entry.
April 24, 2014
alexz commented on the word ratchet
The google ngram viewer may not offer any clues, but googlefight has "ratchet girl" kicking "wretched girl"'s ass.
https://bit.ly/1kakpw6 - link to googlefight.com
April 24, 2014
swingsinair commented on the word ratchet
ratchet up - to increase/reduce something over a period of time
June 23, 2014