pellet
verbEtymology Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota.
1
To form into pellets.
2
To strike with pellets.
pellet
nounCA, UK, US /ˈpɛl.ɪt/ · AU /ˈpel.ɪt/
Etymology Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota.
1
A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.
- a pellet of wood, paper, or ore
2
A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns.
3
Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls and many other birds of prey, which serves as a waste disposal mechanism for indigestible parts of food, such as fur and bones.
4
Government, Heraldry, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Monarchy, Nobility, Politics A roundel sable (black circular spot).
5
One of the short conductive tubes in a Pelletron particle accelerator.
- Derived terms
- biopellet, ice pellet, immunopellet, macropellet, micropellet, pelletable, pelletal, pellet drum, pelleter, pellet gun, pelletization, pelletless, pelletlike, pellet moulding, pellet stove, pellistor, repellet