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2295 entries found
racket (n.1)
"loud noise," 1560s, perhaps imitative. Klein compares Gaelic racaid "noise." Meaning "dishonest activity" (1785) is perhaps from racquet, via notion of "game," reinforced by rack-rent "extortionate rent" (1590s), from rack (n.1). But it might as well be an extended sense of "loud noise" by way of "noise or disturbance made to distract a pick-pocket's victim."
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racketeer 
1928 (noun and verb), from racket (n.1) + -eer. Related: Racketeering (1928).
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raconteur (n.)
"storyteller, person skilled in relating anecdotes," 1828, from French raconteur, from raconter "to recount, tell, narrate," from re- (see re-) + Old French aconter "to count, render account" (see account (v.); and compare recount (v.1)). Related: Raconteuse (fem.).
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racquet (n.)
"handled hitting device used in tennis, etc.," c. 1500, probably originally "tennis-like game played with open hand" (late 14c.), from Middle French rachette, requette (Modern French raquette) "racket for hitting; palm of the hand," perhaps via Italian racchetta or Spanish raqueta, both often said to be from Arabic rahat, a form of raha "palm of the hand," but this has been doubted. Compare French jeu de paume "tennis," literally "play with the palm of the hand," and compare tennis).
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racquetball (n.)
1972, from racquet + ball (n.1).
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racy (adj.)
1650s, "having a characteristic taste" (of wines, fruits, etc.), from race (n.2) in its older sense of "flavor" or in the sense "class of wines" + -y (2); meaning "having a quality of vigor" (1660s) led to that of "improper, risqué," first recorded 1901, probably reinforced by phrase racy of the soil "earthy" (1870). Related: Racily; raciness.
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rad 
"x-ray dose unit," 1918, shortened form of radiation (q.v.). As shortened form of radical (n.), it is attested in political slang from 1820. Teen slang sense of "extraordinary, wonderful" is from late 1970s (see radical (adj.)).
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radar (n.)
"electronic system for locating objects by means of radio waves," 1941, acronym (more or less) from radio detecting and ranging. The U.S. choice, it won out over British radiolocation. Figurative from 1950.
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radial (adj.)
c. 1400, "of or like a ray or radius," from Medieval Latin radialis, from Latin radius "shaft, rod; spoke of a wheel; beam of light" (see radius). As a noun, a type of tire, attested from 1965, short for radial-ply (tire). Related: Radially.
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radian (n.)
"angle subtended at the center of a circle by an arc equal in length to the radius," 1879, from radius.
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