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ricochet

ricochet

9 7.9
A shot or object that bounces off a surface at an angle
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪkəˌʃeɪ/
: rebote
  • A few of the passengers, natives mostly, were wounded by ricochet, but on the whole, the derailment caused the most casualties.
  • bullet ricochet
  • ricochet hits
  • ricochet effect

So if you're going to get, if you got it like President Reagan, he when he was hit was a ricochet off the door frame or something caught him in the side.

Examples

  • More gunfire, shattering, and ricochets through the radio.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Were you hit by a ricochet?

  • One of the guerrillas was shot through the head... by a ricochet bullet.

  • Suddenly, there is a gunshot and a bullet ricochets off the top of the car.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Takes out the gunman with a ricochet... whereupon the ship runs aground.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Even so, he bounced between the outer wall and the center column, collecting more bruises with each ricochet.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The soldier was injured by a careless ricochet during the training exercise.

  • The ricochet from the bullet hit the wall and startled everyone in the room.

  • After the ricochet, the bullet struck the ground instead of the target.

Synonyms

carom
vsricochet
  • US
1 9.3

A quick bounce that sends a ball or puck off at an angle

applies specifically to bullets or projectiles bouncing instead of stopping or embedding

How Bouncy

ricochet
9 7.9
rebound
13 3.3

Surface Forms

ricochet singular
ricochets plural

Etymology

Ricochet comes from French and probably began as a sound word that copies the quick noise of something hitting and bouncing. So a ricochet is the 'bounce' or rebound of a bullet, stone, or puck when it hits a surface.