Also spelled rachet
Meanings
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1
noun
a toothed wheel or bar with a pawl that permits motion in one direction while preventing motion in the other
The ratchet clicked as the wheel advanced one tooth at a time.
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2
noun
a hand tool, especially a socket wrench, that uses a ratchet mechanism
She changed the socket on the ratchet before loosening the bolt.
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3
verb
to move or cause something to change by a series of one-way steps
The new demand could ratchet costs up throughout the industry.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From French rochet, originally a blunt lance head and later a bobbin or ratchet, related to Italian rocchetto ("spool"). The English spelling was influenced by ratch, another name for the toothed mechanism. The verb developed from the noun.