Advertisement

Origin and history of racket

racket(n.1)

"loud, disorderly, confusing noise," 1560s, probably imitative. Klein and Century Dictionary compare Gaelic racaid "noise, disturbance," but OED says this "is no doubt from Eng."

Meaning "dishonest activity" (1785) is perhaps an extended sense, from the notion of "something going on" or "noise or disturbance made to distract a pick-pocket's victim." Or it might be from racquet, via the notion of "a game," or from or reinforced by rack-rent "extortionate rent." There also was a verb racket "carry on eager or energetic action" (1753), and the gangster sense might be via the notion of "exciting and unusual." Weakened sense of "way of life, one's line of business" is by 1891.

racket(n.2)

"handled paddle or netted bat used in tennis, etc.;" see racquet.

Entries linking to racket

rack-rent(n.)

"extortionate rent, rent raised to the highest possible limit, rent greater than any tenant can be expected to pay," especially of land-rents in Ireland, c. 1600, from rent (n.) + rack (v.1) in the otherwise obsolete sense of "extort or obtain by rapacity, raise (rent, etc.) above a fair level" (1550s).

racquet(n.)

"handled instrument to strike the ball in tennis, etc.," c. 1500, probably extended from earlier racket "tennis-like game played with open hand" (late 14c.), from Old French rachette, requette, rechete, resquette (Modern French raquette) "racket for hitting; the palm of the hand," which is of uncertain origin.

Perhaps it comes via Italian racchetta or Spanish raqueta, both often said to be from Arabic rāhat, a form of rāha "palm of the hand," but this has been doubted. Compare French jeu de paume "tennis," literally "play with the palm of the hand," and compare tennis.

racketeer(n.)

"member of a criminal gang practicing extortion, 'protection,' intimidation, etc.," 1927, a word from Prohibition, from racket (n.1) in the "dishonest activity" sense + -eer. Earlier (1926) in reference to organizers of fraudulent bankruptcies. By 1928 as a verb. Related: Racketeering, verbal noun (1927).

[A] racketeer is nothing more nor less than a gangster who has organized thuggery along business lines. ["What is a Racketeer?" Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Oct. 7, 1928]
    Advertisement

    More to explore

    noise
    c. 1200, "sound of a musical instrument;" mid-13c., "loud speech, outcry, clamor, shouting;" c. 1300, "a sound of any kind from any source," especially a loud and disagreeable sound, from Old French noise "din, disturbance, uproar, brawl" (11c., in modern French only in phrase ch
    dissonance
    early 15c., dissonaunce, "disagreement, discrepancy, incongruity, inconsistency" (between things), from Old French dissonance and directly from Medieval Latin dissonantia, from Latin dissonantem, present participle of dissonare "differ in sound," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + so
    revel
    late 14c. (c. 1200 as a surname), "riotous merry-making," also an occasion of this, from Old French revel, resvel "entertainment, revelry," verbal noun from reveler, also rebeller (14c.) "be disorderly, make merry" (see rebel (adj.)). "The development of sense in OF. is 'rebellio
    short-change
    American English (implied in short-changed), from adjectival expression short-change (with man, worker, operator, trick, racket...
    feast
    by rejoicing" (rather than fasting), from Old French feste "religious festival, holy day; holiday; market, fair; noise, racket...
    lever
    "simple machine consisting of a rigid piece acted upon at different points by two forces," c. 1300, from Old French levier (12c.) "a lifter, a lever, crowbar," agent noun from lever "to raise" (10c.), from Latin levare "to raise," from levis "light" in weight, "not heavy," also,
    grip
    Old English grippan "to grip, seize, obtain" (class I strong verb; past tense grap, past participle gripen), from West Germanic *greipanan (source also of Old High German gripfen "to rob," Old English gripan "to seize;" see gripe (v.)). Related: Gripped; gripping. French gripper
    prig
    "a conceited, narrow-minded pragmatical person; a dull, precise person; one who cultivates or affects propriety and offends or bores others," 1753, originally in reference to theological scruples (1704), a word of unknown origin. It could be related to earlier appearances of the
    endeavor
    early 15c., "pains taken to attain an object," literally "in duty," from phrase put (oneself) in dever "make it one's duty" (a partial translation of Old French mettre en deveir "put in duty"), from Old French dever "duty," from Latin debere "to owe," originally, "keep something
    enterprise
    early 15c., "an undertaking," formerly also enterprize, from Old French enterprise "an undertaking," noun use of fem. past participle of entreprendre "undertake, take in hand" (12c.), from entre- "between" (see entre-) + prendre "to take," contraction of prehendere "to catch hold

    Share racket

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near racket
    Advertisement