1
a
: a usually small rounded, spherical, or cylindrical body (as of food or medicine)
b
: a wad of indigestible material (as of bones and fur) regurgitated by a bird of prey
2
: any of various projectiles fired from a weapon (such as an air rifle)
pelleted; pelleting; pellets
Synonyms
Examples of pellet in a Sentence
Noun
the tightly packed pellets of a shotgun cartridge
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Regular smokers and pellet smokers are a bit different in prep, so be sure to follow what's best for your particular cooker.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2023
Setting up the small unit, including pouring the pellets in and getting the fire started, took around 20 minutes.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023
The alligator has grown to the point where its diet soon will transition from dog food-like pellets to raw chicken.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Mixing the pellets into the soil of the wool pot will result in thriving plants that require less tending to.
—Ebony Roberts, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
Essentially, a pellet rifle is anything that is designed to shoot a pellet—which includes most air guns.
—T. Logan Metesh, Field & Stream, 4 Oct. 2023
As officers tried to place him into custody, a 15-year-old began to also fire gel pellets at their faces.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
The reason for the closure was due to a lack of cushioning provided by the turf and the rubber pellets that are used in the turf.
—Nik Streng, oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2023
The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023
The genius is in the replaceable head, where an aramid fiber pad is used to steam clean all types of grills ranging from gas to charcoal, to pellet grills and flat tops.
—John Thompson, Men's Health, 7 July 2023
NC State Veterinary Hospital recommends pelleted feed formulated specifically for chinchillas.
—Jo Yurcaba, Woman's Day, 23 Oct. 2019
Fill them with the tiny wood smoker pellets that look like rabbit feed to add a lengthy, thick smoke boost whenever it is needed.
—Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Spread a light layer of compost or pelleted seed establishment mulch over the new seed to help keep it moist.
—Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 10 July 2018
Snow pellets form when supercooled water droplets are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes.
—Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2017
See More
Noun
And there are squirt bottles filled with of creosote-preventing liquid, as well as logs and pellets (for pellet stoves) impregnated with these ingredients.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Regular smokers and pellet smokers are a bit different in prep, so be sure to follow what's best for your particular cooker.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2023
Setting up the small unit, including pouring the pellets in and getting the fire started, took around 20 minutes.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2023
The alligator has grown to the point where its diet soon will transition from dog food-like pellets to raw chicken.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Mixing the pellets into the soil of the wool pot will result in thriving plants that require less tending to.
—Ebony Roberts, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
Essentially, a pellet rifle is anything that is designed to shoot a pellet—which includes most air guns.
—T. Logan Metesh, Field & Stream, 4 Oct. 2023
As officers tried to place him into custody, a 15-year-old began to also fire gel pellets at their faces.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
The reason for the closure was due to a lack of cushioning provided by the turf and the rubber pellets that are used in the turf.
—Nik Streng, oregonlive, 4 Sep. 2023
Verb
Drawbacks: Testosterone pellets tenet to result in larger fluctuations in testosterone levels, require surgery to be replaced, and do not always result in optimal testosterone levels [12].
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023
The genius is in the replaceable head, where an aramid fiber pad is used to steam clean all types of grills ranging from gas to charcoal, to pellet grills and flat tops.
—John Thompson, Men's Health, 7 July 2023
NC State Veterinary Hospital recommends pelleted feed formulated specifically for chinchillas.
—Jo Yurcaba, Woman's Day, 23 Oct. 2019
Fill them with the tiny wood smoker pellets that look like rabbit feed to add a lengthy, thick smoke boost whenever it is needed.
—Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, 5 Aug. 2019
Spread a light layer of compost or pelleted seed establishment mulch over the new seed to help keep it moist.
—Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 10 July 2018
Snow pellets form when supercooled water droplets are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes.
—Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 Dec. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pellet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing pellet
Dictionary Entries Near pellet
Cite this Entry
“Pellet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pellet. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
pellet
noun
pel·let
ˈpel-ət
1
a
: a little ball (as of food or medicine)
b
: a wad of material (as of bones and fur) that could not be digested and was regurgitated by a bird of prey (as an owl)
2
a
b
: a piece of small shot
Medical Definition
pellet
noun
pel·let
ˈpel-ət 
: a usually small rounded or spherical body
specifically
: a small cylindrical or ovoid compressed mass (as of a hormone) that is implanted subcutaneously for slow absorption into bodily tissues
More from Merriam-Webster on pellet
Nglish: Translation of pellet for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pellet for Arabic Speakers
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