# ratchet

Pronunciation: say "RACH-it" /ˈɹæt͡ʃɪt/

## Noun

1. A hand wrench fitted with a ratchet, so it turns a nut or bolt one way and swings back freely without being lifted off.
   - Simple: A tool for turning nuts and bolts that only grips when you turn it one way.
   - _She keeps a ratchet and a set of sockets in the trunk for roadside repairs._
   - _Mechanics reach for a ratchet in tight spaces where an ordinary wrench has no room to swing._
2. A mechanism made of a toothed ratchet wheel, or ratch, together with a pawl.
   - Simple: A machine part made of a wheel with teeth and a small catch that fits between them.
   - _A ratchet in the rear hub lets a bicycle coast while the pedals stay still._
   - _A ratchet inside the jack keeps the car from sinking while the tire is changed._
6. A person, usually a woman, whose behavior is seen as crude, low-class and unseemly. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A rude name for someone, usually a woman, who acts in a rude, low-class way.
   - _The producers cast a few ratchets to guarantee drama every episode._
   - _She hated being called a ratchet just because she laughed loudly in public._
7. A process or rule that moves in only one direction, usually upward.
   - Simple: A rule or process that only moves one way, usually up.
   - _Critics warned that the emergency powers would become a ratchet, easy to extend and hard to repeal._
   - _Each budget turns the ratchet of fees a little higher for students._
8. A small catch that engages a ratchet wheel, holding it still or driving it forward.
   - Simple: A small catch that stops a toothed wheel from turning back, or pushes it forward.
   - _A worn ratchet let the wheel slip back under the weight of the bucket._
   - _The clockmaker filed a new ratchet to hold the toothed wheel of the mainspring._
9. A noisemaker or musical instrument that sounds when a board strikes against a rotating gear.
   - Simple: A noisy toy or instrument that makes a loud clicking sound when you spin it.
   - _The percussion section added a wooden ratchet, which gave a dry rattle when cranked._
   - _Children whirled their ratchets every time the villain's name was read aloud._
10. Short for full ratchet. — Ellipsis of full ratchet.
   - Simple: Short for full ratchet. Investors use it as a quick way to say the longer name.
   - _Lawyers for the startup tried to soften the ratchet, warning that a single down round could hand the seed investors a large block of extra shares._
   - _When the company raised its next round at half the earlier price, the ratchet reset the early backers' price to the new, lower figure, giving them far more shares._

## Verb

3. To make something increase or decrease by steps.
   - Simple: To make something go up or down, a little at a time.
   - _Rival networks have ratcheted up their spending on original shows._
   - _The company plans to ratchet down production as demand falls._
4. To move up or down in steps, especially with controlled motion that allows movement one way while resisting it the other.
   - Simple: To move one small step at a time, usually in only one direction.
   - _The adjustable headrest ratchets up a notch each time you lift it._
   - _Good scroll wheels ratchet with a crisp click instead of a mushy roll._

## Adjective

5. Unseemly and improper in a way seen as crude or low-class. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: Acting in a rude or improper way that people see as low-class.
   - _The reality show is known for its ratchet fights and table-flipping._
   - _Classy at work, a little ratchet on the weekend: that's how she describes herself._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4, 7–10** — From French rochet ("bobbin, spindle, ratchet"), from Italian rocchetto ("spool, ratchet").
**Meanings 5–6** — Possibly a variant of wretched representing a Southern, or specifically Louisianan, pronunciation; compare rasslin' for wrestling.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ratchet (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).