Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To strike with or as if with a racket; toss.
  • noun The instrument with which players at tennis and like games strike the. ball; a bat consisting usually of a thin strip of wood bent into a somewhat elliptical hoop, across which a network of cord or catgut is stretched, and to which a handle is attached.
  • noun plural A modern variety of the old game of tennis.
  • noun A kind of net.
  • noun A snow-shoe: an Anglicized form of the French raquette.
  • noun A broad wooden shoe or patten for a horse or other draft-animal, to enable him to step on marshy or soft ground.
  • noun A bird's tail-feather shaped like a racket; a spatule.
  • noun A musical instrument of the seventeenth century, consisting of a mouthpiece with a double reed, and a wooden tube repeatedly bent upon itself, and pierced with several fingerholes.
  • noun An organ-stop giving tones similar to those of the above instrument.
  • To make a rattling or clattering noise; raise a tumult; move noisily.
  • To engage or take part in a racket of any kind; frequent noisy or tumultuous scenes; carry on eager or energetic action of some special kind.
  • To be dissipated; indulge to excess in social pleasures.
  • To utter noisily or tumultuously; clamor out.
  • noun Hustle; the quality of ‘getting there.’
  • noun To stand the strain.
  • noun A disorderly, confusing noise, as of commingled play or strife and loud talk; any prolonged clatter; din; clamor; hurly-burly.
  • noun A disturbance; a row; also, a noisy gathering; a scene of clamorous or eager merriment.
  • noun A clamorous outburst, as of indignation or other emotion; a noisy manifestation of feeling: as, to make a racket about a trifle; to raise a racket about one's ears.
  • noun Something going on, whether noisily and openly or quietly; a special proceeding, scheme, project, or the like: a slang use of very wide application: as, what's the racket? (what is going on?); to go on a racket (to engage in a lark or go on a spree); to be on to a person's racket (to detect his secret aim or purpose); to work the racket (to carry on a particular scheme or undertaking, especially one of a “shady” character); to stand the racket (to take the consequences, or abide the result).
  • noun A smart stroke; a rap.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Slang A scheme, dodge, trick, or the like; something taking place considered as exciting, trying, unusual, or the like; also, such occurrence considered as an ordeal.
  • noun an organized illegal activity, such as illegal gambling, bootlegging, or extortion.
  • transitive verb To strike with, or as with, a racket.
  • noun confused, clattering noise; din; noisy talk or sport.
  • noun Slang A carouse; any reckless dissipation.
  • intransitive verb To make a confused noise or racket.
  • intransitive verb To engage in noisy sport; to frolic.
  • intransitive verb Slang To carouse or engage in dissipation.
  • noun A thin strip of wood, having the ends brought together, forming a somewhat elliptical hoop, across which a network of catgut or cord is stretched. It is furnished with a handle, and is used for catching or striking a ball in tennis and similar games.
  • noun A variety of the game of tennis played with peculiar long-handled rackets; -- chiefly in the plural.
  • noun Canada A snowshoe formed of cords stretched across a long and narrow frame of light wood.
  • noun A broad wooden shoe or patten for a man or horse, to enable him to step on marshy or soft ground.
  • noun a court for playing the game of rackets.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable A racquet: an implement with a handle connected to a round frame strung with wire, sinew, or plastic cords, and used to hit a ball, such as in tennis or a birdie in badminton.
  • noun only in singular A loud noise.
  • noun A fraud or swindle; an illegal scheme for profit.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make loud and annoying noises
  • noun an illegal enterprise (such as extortion or fraud or drug peddling or prostitution) carried on for profit
  • verb hit (a ball) with a racket
  • noun a sports implement (usually consisting of a handle and an oval frame with a tightly interlaced network of strings) used to strike a ball (or shuttlecock) in various games
  • noun a loud and disturbing noise
  • verb celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking; engage in uproarious festivities
  • noun the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English raket

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic "bataireachd" which is defined alternatively as "1.Cudgelling. 2 Idleness. 3 Lounging. 4 Making a rattling noise." according to Dwelly, 1910. Dwelly uses this phrase in defining "bataireachd" - "Is ann ort a tha a' bhataireachd! what a noise you are making!" The word "bhataireachd" sounds anglophonically like "vat a racket."

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