pellet

1 of 2

noun

pel·​let ˈpe-lət 

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)

pelletal

ˈpe-lə-tᵊl 

adjective

pellet

2 of 2

verb

pelleted; pelleting; pellets

transitive verb

1

: pelletize

2

: to strike with pellets

Synonyms

Noun

• ball
• bullet

Examples of pellet in a Sentence

Noun

the tightly packed pellets of a shotgun cartridge

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Polymers’ properties and chemical structures change as they are melted and reformed multiple times, and this method—which can be used on pellets, fibers, fabrics and garments—analyzes these changes. —Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 21 May 2025

The smoke that wafts from the chimney is created using chemical pellets that are burned in another stove that's connected to the stovepipe chimney, which is temporarily erected atop the Sistine Chapel just for that purpose. —Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025

Verb

The technique has produced delicious, consistent results from campsites in Big Sur, California, and Baja, Mexico—and in everything from frying oil to pellet grills to standard home ovens. —Wes Siler, Outside Online, 25 Nov. 2024

Extremely high temperatures inside the reactor in those first few days are believed to have melted parts of the zirconium alloy fuel rods and some of the uranium pellets themselves. —IEEE Spectrum, 16 Mar. 2011

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pelote, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *pilota, diminutive of Latin pila ball

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pellet

• pellet gun
• pellet stove

Rhymes for pellet

• chelate
• prelate
• zealot
• appellate

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

: bullet sense 1

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