plural bullets
1
: a small piece of metal or another material that is shot out of a gun
He was hit by a stray bullet. [=the bullet missed its target and hit him instead]
He was killed by an assassin's bullet.
He took a bullet to the head. [=he was shot in the head]
—often used before another nounThere are bullet holes in the walls.
a bullet wound
2
: a large dot in a document, book, etc., that brings attention to separate pieces of information in a list
Bullets were used to separate each item.
3
US, sports
: a hit or thrown ball or puck that is moving very fast
The quarterback threw a bullet to the receiver.
Cite this Entry
“Bullet.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/bullet. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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