Definition
To rebound off a surface at an angle; to skip or bounce in an unpredictable manner.
Etymology
From French 'ricochet,' possibly imitative of the sound of bouncing. The word entered English in the 18th century through military contexts, describing bullets or projectiles that bounce off surfaces rather than penetrating them.
Kelly Says
This word perfectly captures both physical and metaphorical bouncing—bullets ricocheting off armor, but also how ideas or consequences can ricochet through society in unexpected ways. The sound-imitative origin makes it almost onomatopoetic, letting us hear the bounce in the word itself.
Translations
AFAfrikaans
rikosjet
rikosjet
BGБългарски
рикошет
рикошет
BNবাংলা
প্রতিফলিত
প্রতিফলিত
CACatalà
ricochet
ricochet
CSČeština
odrazit se
odrazit-se
DADansk
rikoschettere
rikoschettere
DEDeutsch
abprallen
abprallen
ELΕλληνικά
αναπηδώ
αναπηδώ
ESEspañol
rebotar
rebotar
EUEuskara
errebotatu
errebotatu
FISuomi
kimpoilla
kimpoilla
FRFrançais
ricocher
ricocher
GLGalego
ricochete
ricochete
HRHrvatski
rikosjetirati
rikosjetirati
HUMagyar
pattanni
pattanni
IDBahasa Indonesia
memantul
memantul
ITItaliano
rimbalzare
rimbalzare
LTLietuvių
atšokti
atšokti
MNМонгол
саадагдах
саадагдах
MSBahasa Melayu
melantun
melantun
NLNederlands
ricocheren
ricocheren
NONorsk
rikosjettere
rikosjettere
PLPolski
rykoszetować
rykoszetować
PTPortuguês
ricochetear
ricochetear
RORomână
ricocheta
ricocheta
RUРусский
рикошет
рикошет
SKSlovenčina
odraziť sa
odraziť-sa
SLSlovenščina
odbiti se
odbiti-se
SWKiswahili
kuruka
kuruka
UKУкраїнська
рикошет
рикошет