RECOIL


Meaning of RECOIL in English

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.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.