racket 1
/rak"it/ , n.
1. a loud noise or clamor, esp. of a disturbing or confusing kind; din; uproar: The traffic made a terrible racket in the street below.
2. social excitement, gaiety, or dissipation.
3. an organized illegal activity, such as bootlegging or the extortion of money from legitimate business people by threat or violence.
4. a dishonest scheme, trick, business, activity, etc.: the latest weight-reducing racket.
5. Usually, the rackets . organized illegal activities: Some say that the revenue from legalized gambling supports the rackets.
6. Slang.
a. an occupation, livelihood, or business.
b. an easy or profitable source of livelihood.
v.i.
7. to make a racket or noise.
8. to take part in social gaiety or dissipation.
[ 1555-65; 1890-95 for def. 6; metathetic var. of dial. rattick; see RATTLE 1 ]
Syn. 1. tumult, disturbance, outcry. See noise .
Ant. 1, 2. tranquillity.
racket 2
— racketlike , adj.
/rak"it/ , n.
1. a light bat having a netting of catgut or nylon stretched in a more or less oval frame and used for striking the ball in tennis, the shuttlecock in badminton, etc.
2. the short-handled paddle used to strike the ball in table tennis.
3. rackets , ( used with a sing. v. ) racquet (def. 1).
4. a snowshoe made in the form of a tennis racket.
Also, racquet (for defs. 1, 2, 4).
[ 1490-1500; raquette, rachette, perh. rahet, var. of rahah palm of the hand ]