pellet
pellet Lexical Profile
pellet Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, rounded, compressed mass of a substance, such as animal food, medication, or wood used for fuel.
"The farmer bought a hundred bags of feed pellets to sustain the chickens through the winter."
A small piece of lead or other metal fired as a projectile from an air gun.
"He loaded a single lead pellet into the chamber of his air rifle before taking aim at the paper target."
A small wad of undigested material, such as bones, fur, and feathers, regurgitated by a bird of prey.
"The students dissected an owl pellet in biology class to learn about the raptor's nocturnal diet."
• verb
To strike heavily and repeatedly with small, hard objects or projectiles.
"Large pieces of hail began to pellet the roof of the car as the severe thunderstorm rolled through the valley."
To form or compress a substance into small, rounded masses.
"The factory uses specialized machinery to pellet raw wood dust into highly efficient biofuel."
• Rhymes for pellet
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'pelet', borrowed from Old French 'pelote' (small ball), derived from Vulgar Latin '*pilotta', a diminutive of Latin 'pila' (ball).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.