recoilless

American

[ri-koil-lis, ree-koil-] / rɪˈkɔɪl lɪs, ˈriˌkɔɪl- /

adjective

having little or no recoil.

a recoilless rifle.

recoilless British

/ rɪˈkɔɪllɪs /

adjective

denoting a gun, esp an antitank weapon, in which the blast is vented to the rear so as to eliminate or reduce recoil

"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

Etymology

Origin of recoilless

First recorded in 1945–50; recoil + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The ministry distributed to media outlets photos of North Korean soldiers building a guard post and moving a suspected recoilless rifle to a newly built trench.

From Washington Times • Nov. 27, 2023

Decades ago, the military provided Mammoth and other ski areas with old-style recoilless rifles for controlling avalanches.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2017

The barrel of a recoilless rifle is open at both ends.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

And the depot recently received funding to destroy 15,000 recoilless rifles last used during World War II, Pike says.

From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2013

One more obvious fact that Wayne had time to comprehend was that the weapon was not a recoilless type.

From High Dragon Bump by Thompson, Don

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023