ricochet

Where does the word "ricochet" come from? It comes from French ricochet, and was adopted directly into English (1770s).

Ricochet’s story begins in French: ricochet meant “a rebounding, glancing motion.” The origin is uncertain, possibly from a nonsense refrain in an old French tale. It reached English by 1770s as ricochet. French, originally a game of skipping stones; Vauban used ricochet fire in sieges. Today, ricochet means the action of an object, especially a bullet, rebounding off a surface.

1. Stage 1 · French · 1600s ricochet "a rebounding, glancing motion", the origin is uncertain, possibly from a nonsense refrain in an old French tale.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1770s ricochet "the rebound of an object off a surface", French, originally a game of skipping stones; Vauban used ricochet fire in sieges.