English

edit

Etymology

edit

From ratchet +‎ -like.

Adjective

edit

ratchetlike (comparative more ratchetlike, superlative most ratchetlike)

  1. Resembling or characteristic of a ratchet.
    • 2007 May 15, Henry Fountain, “How a Vast Ice Sheet Put the Squeeze on Earth (and Its Gravity)”, in New York Times[1]:
      Tiny upward-facing hairs on the lower portion of the awns have a ratchetlike function, preventing the awns from backsliding once they’ve moved.