From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Recoil \Re*coil"\ (r[-e]*koil"), v. t.
To draw or go back. [Obs.] --Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Recoil \Re*coil"\, n.
1. A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking; as,
the recoil of nature, or of the blood.
[1913 Webster]
2. The state or condition of having recoiled.
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The recoil from formalism is skepticism. --F. W.
Robertson.
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3. Specifically, the reaction or rebounding of a firearm when
discharged.
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{Recoil dynamometer} (Gunnery), an instrument for measuring
the force of the recoil of a firearm.
{Recoil escapement}. See the Note under {Escapement}.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Recoil \Re*coil"\ (r[-e]*koil"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Recoiled}
(r[-e]*koild"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Recoiling}.] [OE. recoilen,
F. reculer, fr. L. pref. re- re- + culus the fundament. The
English word was perhaps influenced in form by accoil.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To start, roll, bound, spring, or fall back; to take a
reverse motion; to be driven or forced backward; to
return.
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Evil on itself shall back recoil. --Milton.
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The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible . .
. that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits.
--De Quincey.
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2. To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing,
alarming, or the like; to shrink. --Shak.
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3. To turn or go back; to withdraw one's self; to retire.
[Obs.] "To your bowers recoil." --Spenser.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
recoil
n 1: the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired [syn: {recoil},
{kick}]
2: a movement back from an impact [syn: {recoil},
{repercussion}, {rebound}, {backlash}]
v 1: draw back, as with fear or pain; "she flinched when they
showed the slaughtering of the calf" [syn: {flinch},
{squinch}, {funk}, {cringe}, {shrink}, {wince}, {recoil},
{quail}]
2: come back to the originator of an action with an undesired
effect; "Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of
trouble" [syn: {backfire}, {backlash}, {recoil}]
3: spring back; spring away from an impact; "The rubber ball
bounced"; "These particles do not resile but they unite after
they collide" [syn: {bounce}, {resile}, {take a hop},
{spring}, {bound}, {rebound}, {recoil}, {reverberate},
{ricochet}]
4: spring back, as from a forceful thrust; "The gun kicked back
into my shoulder" [syn: {kick back}, {recoil}, {kick}]
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