racket
n. countablen. a piece of sports equipment with a handle and a round frame with tight strings. You use it to hit the ball in games like tennis or badminton.
n. an oval-framed piece of equipment with a handle and a network of interlaced strings. Used for striking a ball or shuttlecock in various court games.
I need to buy a new tennis racket before the tournament.
She gripped her racket tightly as she prepared to return the opponent's powerful serve.
Modern rackets are typically constructed from lightweight carbon fiber or graphite to provide players with a combination of power and maneuverability that wooden frames could never achieve.
From Middle English raket, of uncertain origin. Possibly cognate with Middle French rachette, requette (“palm of the hand”). From Arabic رَاحَةْ اَلْيَد (rāḥat al-yad, “palm of the hand”). Alternatively, the term might be derived from Dutch raketsen instead, from Middle French rachasser (“to strike (the ball) back”).
Attested since the 1500s, of unclear origin; possibly a metathesis of the dialectal term rattick (“to shake, rattle”).
Commonly spelled 'racquet' in the context of squash or when emphasizing a more traditional or formal sports register.