ratchet

/ˈɹætʃɪt/ · noun

Meaning

A pawl, click or detent for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc.
A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch and pawl.
A ratchet wrench.
(by extension) A procedure or regulation that goes in one direction, usually up.
To cause to become incremented or decremented.
To increment or decrement.
Ghetto; unseemly, indecorous.

Etymology / origin

No prose etymology has been added yet.

No ancestor words have been linked yet.

Related words

ratch(English)rachet(English)rachet up(English)ratchet down(English)pawl(English)knife(English)creek(English)cove(English)clank(English)drek(English)sideswipe(English)insomniac(English)

Descendant words

No descendant words have been linked yet.

Sources

DictionaryAPI.dev English dictionary data

ratchet — meaning and etymology | WikiWord