re ‧ coil /rɪˈkɔɪl/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: reculer , from cul 'ass' ]
1 . to move back suddenly and quickly from something you do not like or are afraid of
recoil from/at
She recoiled from his touch as if she had been slapped.
2 . to feel such a strong dislike of a particular situation that you want to avoid it
recoil from/at
He recoils from everything in life that demands hard work.
We recoil in horror from the thought of subjecting someone to extreme pain.
3 . if a gun recoils, it moves backwards very quickly after it has been fired
—recoil /ˈriːkɔɪl/ noun [singular, uncountable] :
The recoil of the gun sent him flying backwards.