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   recoil

   /rɪˈkɔɪl/

   verb

   • 1. suddenly spring or flinch back in fear, horror, or disgust: "he recoiled in horror" Similar draw backjump backspring backjerk backpull backflinchshy awayshrink (back)blenchstartwincecowerquail
   • ▪ feel fear, horror, or disgust at the thought of something: "Ronni felt herself recoil at the very thought" Similar feel revulsion atfeel disgust atfeel abhorrence atbe unable to bearbe unable to stomachshrink fromshy away frombalk athesitate at
   • 2. rebound or spring back through force of impact or elasticity: "the muscle has the ability to recoil"
   • ▪ (of a gun) move abruptly backwards as a reaction on firing a bullet, shell, or other missile: "the rifle recoiled" Similar kick (back)jerk backspring backfly backjump back
   • ▪ (of an action) have an adverse reactive effect on (the originator): "if man upsets his planetary ecosystem it will automatically recoil upon him" Similar rebound oncome back onaffect badlymisfirebackfireboomeranggo wrongfail to work outbe unsuccessfulgo amisscome to griefmeet with disasterarchaic:redound on

   noun

   • 1. the action of recoiling: "his body jerked with the recoil of the rifle"

   Word Origin Middle English (denoting the act of retreating): from Old French reculer ‘move back’, based on Latin culus ‘buttocks’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. recoilless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • C

     3

   • O

     1

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

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