Ratches

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Mechanical devices that engage teeth to allow controlled movement in machinery or tools; tools used for gripping or clamping objects with adjustable force; informal term sometimes used to describe slings or garters in historical or dialectal contexts
2. Devices featuring a toothed wheel and a pawl to permit motion in one direction while preventing it backward; implements designed to hold materials securely by adjustable pressure; colloquial or regional usage referring to certain fastening straps or braces
3. Mechanisms employing a gear-and-pawl system to regulate rotational movement in equipment; instruments applied for securing or adjusting grip on objects; less common or archaic reference to straps or bindings used in clothing or gear

Etymology: "Ratches" is simply the plural of "ratch," so its story is the story of that singular noun. The word names a toothed wheel or bar that engages a pawl, letting machinery turn in one direction while blocking reverse motion, along with tools that grip or clamp with adjustable force. The same base word also appears in older dialect senses, where it referred to slings or garters. Because the plural is formed by simply adding "-es" to "ratch," the word works as a regular countable noun: one ratch, two or more ratches. Any history of the singular form would apply equally here.

Synonyms: rats, rodents, vermin, pests, mice