Dictionary Definition
ratchet n : mechanical device consisting of a
toothed wheel or rack engaged with a pawl that permits it to move
in only one direction [syn: rachet, ratch] v : move by degrees in one
direction only; "a ratcheting lopping tool" [syn: rachet up,
ratchet
down]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- /ˈrætʃɪt/
- Rhymes: -ætʃɪt
Noun
- 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.
Translations
pawl, click or detent for a ratchet wheel
- Italian: nottolino, cricchetto
Ratchet wrench
mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel and pawl
- Italian: ruota a cricchetto, arpionismo
ratchet wrench
- German: Ratsche
- Italian: chiave a cricchetto
- Persian: آچار بوکس
Verb
- To cause to become incremented or decremented.
- To increment or decrement.
- It's time to ratchet up the intensity level here.
Translations
transitive
- Italian: munire di arpionismo
intransitive
- Italian: funzionare grazie ad un arpionismo
Extensive Definition
A ratchet may refer to:
- Ratchet (device), a mechanical device for controlling rotational motion
- Socket wrench, a tool that makes use of the above mechanical device
- A part of some forceps, to fix the blades of the forceps, such as in surgical forceps
- Ratchet (instrument), a music instrument
- Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank), a fictional character from the Ratchet & Clank video game series
- Ratchet (Robots), a fictional character and the villain in the animation film Robots
- Ratchet (Transformers), a Transformers toy and fictional character
- Ratchet, a fictional character from the ecological cartoon series Widget the World Watcher
- Nurse Ratched, a fictional character from the novel and film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest also Nurse Ratchet from an episode of the animated series Futurama
- a slang term for a Folding Knife or Pocket knife; a favourite of the Rudeboys of 60s Jamaica
- the hounds of Annwn in the Cŵn Annwn in Brythonic mythology
- a mechanism in corporate finance (also called Cliquet option)
- Quantum stirring, ratchets, and pumping, in physics
- Brownian ratchet, in physics
- Muller's ratchet, in genetics
ratchet in Japanese: ラチェット (曖昧さ回避)