racquet
UK[ˈrækɪt]US[ˈrækɪt]
n
A piece of sports equipment consisting of a round or oval frame with strings stretched across it, used for hitting the ball in games such as tennis or badminton.
Etymology
The word 'racquet' entered English in the late 15th century from the Middle French 'raquette'. This French term itself was borrowed from the Italian 'racchetta', which was a diminutive form of 'racca', meaning 'palm of the hand'. The Italian 'racca' likely came from the Arabic 'rāḥa', also meaning 'palm of the hand'. This etymology traces a clear semantic evolution: from the literal 'palm of the hand' used to strike a ball, to a glove or paddle, and finally to the stringed frame that extends the hand's reach and striking power. The spelling 'racquet' (alongside 'racket') became standardized in English to specifically denote the sports implement, distinguishing it from the unrelated word 'racket' meaning a loud noise.
Analysis
The word 'racquet' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English.
Examples
She bought a new tennis racquet for the tournament.
The badminton racquet's strings needed to be restrung.
He swung the squash racquet with great precision.