slingshot
slingshot Lexical Profile
slingshot Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A small, hand-held device consisting of a Y-shaped frame with an elastic band attached to the upper prongs, used for shooting small projectiles.
"The child used a wooden slingshot to launch pebbles across the pond."
A maneuver in which a moving object, such as a spacecraft or a racecar, utilizes the gravitational pull or aerodynamic slipstream of a larger body or vehicle to accelerate and alter its course.
"The space probe used a gravitational slingshot around Jupiter to gain enough velocity to reach the outer solar system."
• verb
To shoot, launch, or propel something with great force, as if using an elastic band.
"The tightly stretched cables slingshotted the jet off the deck of the aircraft carrier."
To move or accelerate rapidly by utilizing momentum, a slipstream, or a gravitational assist.
"The driver perfectly timed his exit from the slipstream and slingshotted past the leader on the final turn."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the mid-19th century as a compound of 'sling' and 'shot'. Originally referring to a weighted weapon, the term was later adopted for the Y-shaped elastic catapult following the invention of vulcanized rubber.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.