bullet

[boo l-it]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bullet ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a small metal projectile, part of a cartridge, for firing from small arms.

a cartridge.

a small ball.

Printing. a heavy dot for marking paragraphs or otherwise calling attention to or itemizing particular sections of text, especially in display advertising.

Cards. an ace.

verb (used without object), bul·let·ed, bul·let·ing.

to move swiftly.

Idioms

bite the bullet, to force oneself to perform a painful, difficult task or to endure an unpleasant situation: We'll just have to bite the bullet and pay higher taxes.

Origin of bullet

1550–60; < Middle French boullette, equivalent to boulle ball (see bowl²) + -ette -ette

Related formsbul·let·less, adjectivebul·let·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bullets

ball, shot, cartridge, rocket, slug, projectile, ammunition, pellet, round, cap, bolt, lead, dose, ammo, trajectile

Examples from the Web for bullets

Contemporary Examples of bullets

Coren said she never felt she was at risk of bodily harm, even as the bullets flew.
CNN's Overnight Sydney Star
Lloyd Grove
December 16, 2014
They unleashed a hail of bullets to rival the final scene in ‘Bonnie and Clyde.’
The Cleveland Cops Who Fired 137 Shots and Cried Victim
Michael Daly
December 2, 2014
Police say Myers charged at the policeman, they wrestled, and then he shot at least three bullets before his gun jammed.
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown
Nina Strochlic
November 25, 2014
Then, without warning, they shot into the group, grazing two teenage boys with bullets.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
Their captors wore palm leaves, leopard skins, and magical relics to make themselves immune to bullets.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014

Historical Examples of bullets

The bullets of the posse had neither torn a tendon nor broken a bone.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
The bullets of Allister and Clune might have gone home— they were intended to kill, not to wound.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
When Yates reached the tent, he found it empty and torn by bullets.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Bullets were flying in all directions, and there was no question of shelter.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The bullets of the enemy made "watery flashes" on all sides.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for bullets

bullet

noun

a small metallic missile enclosed in a cartridge, used as the projectile of a gun, rifle, etc
the entire cartridge

something resembling a bullet, esp in shape or effect

stock exchange a fixed interest security with a single maturity date

commerce a security that offers a fixed interest and matures on a fixed date

commerce

the final repayment of a loan that repays the whole of the sum borrowed, as interim payments have been for interest only
(as modifier)a bullet loan

British slang dismissal, sometimes without notice (esp in the phrases get or give the bullet)

printing See centred dot

bite the bullet See bite (def. 14)

Derived Formsbullet-like, adjective

Word Origin for bullet

C16: from French boulette, diminutive of boule ball; see bowl ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bullets

bullet

1550s, from Middle French boulette "cannonball, small ball," diminutive of boule "a ball" (13c.), from Latin bulla "round thing, knob" (see bull (n.2)). Earliest version of bite the bullet recorded 1891, probably with a sense of giving someone a soft lead bullet to clench in the teeth during a painful operation.

Idioms and Phrases with bullets

bullet

see bite the bullet; sweat bullets.