Associations to the word «Recoil»
Wiktionary
RECOIL, noun. A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking.
RECOIL, noun. The state or condition of having recoiled.
RECOIL, noun. (firearms) The energy transmitted back to the shooter from a firearm which has fired. Recoil is a function of the weight of the weapon, the weight of the projectile, and the speed at which it leaves the muzzle.
RECOIL, verb. (intransitive) (now rare) To retreat before an opponent. [from 14th c.]
RECOIL, verb. (obsolete) (intransitive) To retire, withdraw. [15th-18th c.]
RECOIL, verb. To pull back, especially in disgust, horror or astonishment. [from 16th c.]
RECOIL PAD, noun. (firearms) a soft rubber (or similar) attachment added to the butt of a long firearm to absorb some of the recoil.
RECOIL START, noun. A method of starting an internal combustion engine by pulling a rope so that it uncoils around the end of the crankshaft, spinning it to crank the engine.
Dictionary definition
RECOIL, noun. The backward jerk of a gun when it is fired.
RECOIL, noun. A movement back from an impact.
RECOIL, verb. Draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf".
RECOIL, verb. Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble".
RECOIL, verb. Spring back; spring away from an impact; "The rubber ball bounced"; "These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide".
RECOIL, verb. Spring back, as from a forceful thrust; "The gun kicked back into my shoulder".
Wise words
Language is a process of free creation; its laws and
principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles
of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even
the interpretation and use of words involves a process of
free creation.