bullet

noun

bul·​let ˈbu̇-lət 

also ˈbə-

often attributive

1

: a round or elongated missile (as of lead) to be fired from a firearm

broadly : cartridge sense a

2

a

: something resembling a bullet (as in curved form)

b

: a large dot placed in printed matter to call attention to a particular passage

3

: a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (such as a ball or puck)

bulleted

ˈbu̇-lə-təd 

also ˈbə-

adjective

Synonyms of bullet

• ball
• ammunition
• shell
• cartridge
• pellet

Examples of bullet in a Sentence

He was killed by an assassin's bullet.

Bullets were used to separate each item.

The quarterback threw a bullet to the receiver.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kaiser had to undergo surgery to remove bullet and bone fragments from her head and spent more than a month recovering in the hospital. —Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026

As many as 5,000 people attended the Juneteenth festivities at the lake that day, and about 2,000 people remained in the area after the sun set, when the bullets started flying, court records showed. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026

The recurrent and widely recognizable figure of the girl with a bullet in her stomach runs not toward safety but toward the forest, carrying both terror and life within her. —Alex Averbuch, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026

Kaiser shared the extent of her injuries — that doctors had to remove half of her skull to remove bullet fragments from her brain over multiple surgeries. —Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French boulette small ball & boulet missile, diminutives of boule ball — more at bowl

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bullet

• bite the bullet
• bullet point
• bullet train
• dodge a bullet
• dodge the bullet
• magic bullet
• rubber bullet
• silver bullet

Rhymes for bullet

• pullet

Kids Definition

bullet

noun

bul·​let ˈbu̇l-ət 

1

: a usually cone-shaped lead pellet fixed in the front of a firearms cartridge

2

a

: something like a bullet

b

: a large dot used in print to call attention to a particular passage

3

: a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (as a ball)

bulleted

-ət-əd 

adjective

Etymology

from early French boulette "small ball" and boulet "something thrown or shot," from boule "ball," from Latin bulla "bubble" — related to boil, bowl