bul ‧ let /ˈbʊlət, ˈbʊlɪt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: boulette 'small ball' and boulet 'bullet' , from boule 'ball' ]
a small piece of metal that you fire from a gun ⇨ shell , shot :
He was killed by a single bullet.
a bullet wound in the shoulder
Several bullet holes could be seen beside a window.
⇨ ↑ plastic bullet , ⇨ bite the bullet at ↑ bite 1 (9)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ fire a bullet
Police fired rubber bullets to break up the crowd.
▪ a bullet hits/strikes somebody
The first bullet hit him in the back.
▪ a bullet misses somebody/something
The bullet narrowly missed her heart.
▪ a bullet enters somebody's chest/brain etc
There was a scar where the bullet had entered his shoulder.
▪ a bullet is lodged in somebody's chest/brain etc (=is stuck in that part of the body)
Surgeons are trying to remove a bullet lodged in his neck.
▪ a bullet flies (=moves fast)
Bullets were flying around our heads.
▪ a bullet whistles (=moves fast making a noise)
I heard a bullet whistle past me.
▪ a bullet bounces/ricochets off something (=hits something and moves away from it again)
The bullet ricocheted off a wall.
▪ put a bullet through/in something
He threatened to put a bullet through my brain.
▪ spray bullets (=fire a lot of bullets)
The soldier lifted the machine gun and sprayed bullets through the trees.
▪ something is riddled with bullets (=something has a lot of bullets in it)
The car was riddled with bullets.
■ adjectives
▪ a stray bullet (=one that someone fires by mistake)
He was tragically killed by a stray bullet.
▪ a rubber/plastic bullet (=one made of rubber/plastic, not designed to kill)
Riot police fired plastic bullets into the air.
▪ an explosive bullet
An explosive bullet is a very unpleasant weapon.
■ bullet + NOUN
▪ a bullet wound
He died from a bullet wound to his chest.
▪ a bullet hole
There were two bullet holes in the windscreen.
■ phrases
▪ a hail/volley of bullets (=a lot of bullets fired all together)
Officers were met by a hail of bullets from the house.