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

• bullet
• ball
• ammunition

Examples of pellet in a Sentence

Noun

the tightly packed pellets of a shotgun cartridge

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Gel blasters fire water pellets at a rapid pace, some as quickly as 300 gel balls per minute, officials said. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025

Residents of Lassen and Tuolumne counties are fighting against Drax’s plans to build the pellet mills, telling Grist that making wood pellets in forested areas and thinning the forests at the same time would only compound the risk of fires in their communities. —Tom Brown, Wired News, 14 June 2025

Verb

The cold air is the same, and the snow pellets my cap, sifts under my collar. —Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025

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

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