bullet

noun

bul·​let ˈbu̇-lət 

 also  ˈbə-

often attributive

1

: a round or elongated missile (as of lead) to be fired from a firearm

broadly : cartridge sense a

2

a

: something resembling a bullet (as in curved form)

b

: a large dot placed in printed matter to call attention to a particular passage

3

: a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (such as a ball or puck)

bulleted

ˈbu̇-lə-təd 

 also  ˈbə-

adjective

Synonyms

• ball
• pellet

Examples of bullet in a Sentence

He was killed by an assassin's bullet.

Bullets were used to separate each item.

The quarterback threw a bullet to the receiver.

Recent Examples on the Web

One person in an adjacent room was injured when a bullet went through the wall of the study hall. —Teri Figueroa, The Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2024

That bullet hit Sadler in the fleshy part of his right arm between his elbow and bicep. —Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024

If the family didn't have enough silver to make werewolf-killing bullets by the full moon... —Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024

The brothers face off in the finale, with Jun-ho taking a bullet and falling off a cliff… but the Season 2 trailer confirms Jun-ho is alive, and his quest to expose the games doesn’t seem to be finished. —Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French boulette small ball & boulet missile, diminutives of boule ball — more at bowl

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bullet

• bite the bullet
• bullet point
• bullet train
• dodge a bullet
• dodge the bullet
• magic bullet
• rubber bullet
• silver bullet

Kids Definition

bullet

noun

bul·​let ˈbu̇l-ət 

1

: a usually cone-shaped lead pellet fixed in the front of a firearms cartridge

2

a

: something like a bullet

b

: a large dot used in print to call attention to a particular passage

3

: a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (as a ball)

bulleted

-ət-əd 

adjective

Etymology

from early French boulette "small ball" and boulet "something thrown or shot," from boule "ball," from Latin bulla "bubble" — related to boil, bowl