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ricochet

Pronunciation: /ˈrɪkəʃeɪ, -ʃɛt/
Translate ricochet | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of ricochet

verb (ricochets, ricocheting /-ʃeɪɪŋ/, ricocheted /-ʃeɪd/ or ricochets, ricochetting /-ʃɛtɪŋ/, ricochetted /-ʃɛtɪd/)

[no object, with adverbial of direction]
  • (of a bullet or other projectile) rebound off a surface:a bullet ricocheted off a nearby wall
  • [with object and adverbial of direction] cause to rebound off a surface:they fired off a couple of rounds, ricocheting the bullets against a wall
  • appear to move with a series of ricochets:the sound ricocheted around the hall

noun

  • a shot or hit that rebounds off a surface: she was hit by a ricochet in the leg
  • [mass noun] the action or movement of a bullet or other projectile when ricocheting: the practice of low-level skip bombing relied on ricochet for effect

Origin:

mid 18th century: from French, of unknown origin

Spelling help

Spell ricochet with -chet at the end: the t is not spoken because it is a French word.

ricochet in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ricochet in the US English dictionary

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