slingshot

noun

sling·​shot ˈsliŋ-ˌshät 

1

: a forked stick with an elastic band attached for shooting small stones

2

a

: a maneuver in auto racing in which a drafting car accelerates past the car in front by taking advantage of reserve power

b

: a dragster in which the driver sits behind the rear wheels

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Bass used a wrist rocket slingshot to damage the building’s windows, then used flammable liquid to set plywood lining the building on fire, resulting in an estimated $46,000 in damages, prosecutors said. —oregonlive, 20 July 2021

But even in a solitary hideout, the mind still launched thoughts at itself like a slingshot. —Jamie Kreiner, Time, 5 Jan. 2023

That observation rang true among so many drivers who thought that this German slingshot exemplified the potential—and promise—of the automobile’s electric future. —Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2023

After a few tries, the slingshot accidentally rebounds and slams the golf ball right into her face. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2023

The hospitalization came after Kaiser ripped the top of her finger off and was later hit in the face with a high-velocity slingshot. —Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2023

Players use a slingshot to fire their birds over, under and through various obstacles to knock out squadrons of green pigs attempting to steal their eggs. —Trefor Moss, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2023

Countering a slingshot with a howitzer, though, is insecurity rolled into holy contradiction. —Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Jan. 2023

Usually, engineers use loops around the planets as a kind of slingshot to speed spacecraft up. —Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2019

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Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

slingshot

noun

sling·​shot ˈsliŋ-ˌshät 

: a forked stick with an elastic band attached for shooting small stones