ratchet

plural ratchets · alternative archaic rachet

1. A pawl, click, or detent for holding or propelling a ratchet wheel, or ratch, etc.
2. A mechanism composed of a ratchet wheel, or ratch and pawl.
3. A ratchet wrench.
4. broadlyA procedure or regulation that goes in one direction, usually up.

   The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.

   2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23

5. computingA mechanism for generating a new unique key for each message by moving forward in a sequence.
6. A noisemaker or musical instrument where sound is generated by a board striking against a rotating gear.

   Ahead of them a group of mandibulous sales men had set up their combustion cups and incendiary ratchets to demonstrate their wares to whatever officers might come by.

   2013, Charles Morgan, Youthful Folly, →ISBN, page 94

7. abbreviationellipsisbusinessEllipsis of full ratchet.

present singular third person ratchets · participle present ratcheting · participle past ratcheted · past ratcheted · alternative archaic rachet

1. intransitiveTo increment or decrement; especially, to offer controlled motion that can increment while resisting decrement, or vice versa.

   This holddown ratchets, which allows the person loading the trailer to cinch down the straps.

   1 more example

   Compared with the excellent scroll wheels on the Basilisk V3 and G502 X, the G203’s scroll wheel feels less defined and mushier in its ratcheting.

   2024 January 16, Kimber Streams, “The Best Gaming Mouse”, in Wirecutter

2. transitiveTo cause (something) to become incremented or decremented.

   It's time to ratchet up the intensity level here.

   2 more examples

   Get this holddown into position, but don't start ratcheting it yet. When I say go, you start ratcheting it, OK?

   Yugoslavia’s President, Slobodan Milosevic, has rejected all efforts at meaningful diplomacy and, in violation of his own previous commitments, has ratcheted up his military campaign against the innocent civilians of Kosovo.

   1999 March 25, “Air Campaign Against Yugoslavia”, in The New York Times, New York

comparative more ratchet · superlative most ratchet

1. USderogatoryslangGhetto; unseemly, indecorous.

   Classy in the streets but we ratchet

   2018 March 28, Todrick Hall, “T.H.U.G. (Trade)”, in Forbidden, track 14

   2 more examples

   The one thing that always accompanies Miley's ratchet look (along with the gang signs) is the tongue, which is sort of like saying this persona that she has adopted is some sort of gonzo idiot who can't keep its tongue in her head.

   2013 September 24, Elspeth Reeve, Brian Moylan, “Miley Cyrus's Tongue: A Debate”, in The Atlantic

   The feminine-meets-fiesty creations are right on par with all the reasons we love the rightgeously^([sic]) ratchet “Work” singer — and she knows it.

   2016 April 19, Julee Wilson, “Rihanna's Latest Sock Collection is Exactly What You'd Expect...and More”, in Essence

plural ratchets

1. USderogatoryslangA person, usually a female, who acts or behaves in a ghetto, unseemly, or indecorous way or manner.

   I don't do this for the motherfucking rapping / I do this for the ratchets

   2012, “Ratchets”, in Well Done 3, performed by Tyga