recoil Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired
kick.
noun a movement back from an impact
repercussion; rebound; backlash.
verb draw back, as with fear or pain
squinch; flinch; wince; quail; cringe; shrink; funk.
- she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf
verb come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect
backfire; backlash.
- Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble
verb spring back; spring away from an impact
spring; rebound; bound; bounce; take a hop; reverberate; resile; ricochet.
- The rubber ball bounced
- These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide
verb spring back, as from a forceful thrust
kick back; kick.
- The gun kicked back into my shoulder

OE. recoilen, F. reculer, fr. L. pref. re- re- + culus the fundament. The English word was perhaps influenced in form by accoil.

imperfect & past participle Recoiled ; present participle & verbal noun Recoiling

To start, roll, bound, spring, or fall back; to take a reverse motion; to be driven or forced backward; to return.
Evil on itself shall back recoil. Milton.

The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible . . . that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits. De Quincey.
To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink. Shak.
To turn or go back; to withdraw one's self; to retire. Obs. "To your bowers recoil." Spenser.

A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking; as, the recoil of nature, or of the blood.
The state or condition of having recoiled.
The recoil from formalism is skepticism. F. W. Robertson.
Specifically, the reaction or rebounding of a firearm when discharged.