Recoil definition
When you jump backwards in horror away from a dead body you have just spotted, this is an example of recoil.
When a gun kicks back when fired, this is an example of recoil.
The recoil of nature, or of the blood.
Evil on itself shall back recoil.
The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible [...] that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits.
He recoiled in disgust when he saw the mess.
Other Word Forms
Noun
Origin of recoil
- Middle English recoilen from Old French reculer re- re- cul buttocks (from Latin cūlus (s)keu- in Indo-European roots)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Old French reculer.
From Wiktionary