Ratchet

/ˈɹæt͡ʃɪt/ · noun

Meaning

A pawl, click, or detent for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc..

Definitions by Sense

1. A pawl, click, or detent for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc.
2. A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch and pawl.
3. A ratchet wrench.
4. (by extension) A procedure or regulation that goes in one direction, usually up.
5. (cryptography) A mechanism for generating a new unique key for each message by moving forward in a sequence.
6. A noisemaker or musical instrument where sound is generated by a board striking against a rotating gear.
7. (finance) Ellipsis of full ratchet.
8. (intransitive) To increment or decrement; especially, to offer controlled motion that can increment while resisting decrement, or vice versa.

Example Sentences

The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.

Ahead of them a group of mandibulous sales men had set up their combustion cups and incendiary ratchets to demonstrate their wares to whatever officers might come by.

This holddown ratchets, which allows the person loading the trailer to cinch down the straps.

Compared with the excellent scroll wheels on the Basilisk V3 and G502 X, the G203’s scroll wheel feels less defined and mushier in its ratcheting.

Get this holddown into position, but don't start ratcheting it yet. When I say go, you start ratcheting it, OK?

It's time to ratchet up the intensity level here.

Yugoslavia’s President, Slobodan Milosevic, has rejected all efforts at meaningful diplomacy and, in violation of his own previous commitments, has ratcheted up his military campaign against the innocent civilians of Kosovo.

The one thing that always accompanies Miley's ratchet look (along with the gang signs) is the tongue, which is sort of like saying this persona that she has adopted is some sort of gonzo idiot who can't keep its tongue in her head.

Synonyms for ratchet

Antonyms for ratchet

Related Words

Word Forms

• ratchets
• rachet
• ratcheting
• ratcheted
• more ratchet
• most ratchet

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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