ricochet

1 of 2

noun

ric·​o·​chet ˈri-kə-ˌshā How to pronounce ricochet (audio)
 British also  -ˌshet
: a glancing rebound (as of a projectile off a flat surface)
the ricochet of the bullet off the wall
also : an object that ricochets
He was hit by a ricochet.

ricochet

2 of 2

verb

ricocheted ˈri-kə-ˌshād How to pronounce ricochet (audio) also ricochetted ˈri-kə-ˌshe-təd How to pronounce ricochet (audio) ; ricocheting ˈri-kə-ˌshā-iŋ How to pronounce ricochet (audio) also ricochetting ˈri-kə-ˌshe-tiŋ How to pronounce ricochet (audio)

intransitive verb

: to bounce or skip with or as if with a glancing rebound
The bullet that hit President Reagan had ricocheted off the presidential limousine.David Fisher
The ball ricochets at a right angle, falling with force into the first baseman's glove …Bob Drury
The chute snaps open, the sound ricocheting through the gorge like a gunshot, and McGuire is soaring, carving S turns into the air, swooping over a winding creek.Karl Taro Greenfeld

Examples of ricochet in a Sentence

Noun He was hit by a ricochet. the ricochet of the bullet off the wall Verb The bullet ricocheted off the wall. the ball ricocheted off the fielder's glove and went over the fence for a home run
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
During the shooting, one of the officers was superficially wounded by a ricochet bullet. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2024 With the election still all too fresh in Americans’ memories, the writers wisely avoided taking on the cultural ricochet of the host’s presidential endorsement. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
Verb
Back in the Nineties, a story ricocheted all across the Internet that Pink Floyd secretly synced up their 1973 LP Dark Side of the Moon to The Wizard of Oz. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024 Instead, Smith faked a handoff, checked the ball down to Walker and was nearly intercepted again after the ball ricocheted off the running back’s hands. Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ricochet 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

First Known Use

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ricochet was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near ricochet

Cite this Entry

“Ricochet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ricochet. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

ricochet

1 of 2 noun
ric·​o·​chet ˈrik-ə-ˌshā How to pronounce ricochet (audio)
 British also  -ˌshet
1
: a bouncing off at an angle (as of a bullet off a flat surface)
2
: an object that ricochets

ricochet

2 of 2 verb
ricocheted
-ˌshād
also ricochetted
-ˌshet-əd
; ricocheting
-ˌshā-iŋ
also ricochetting
-ˌshet-iŋ
: to bounce off at an angle

More from Merriam-Webster on ricochet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!