recoil

Noun

recoil (countable and uncountable, plural recoils)

1. A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking.
   • the recoil of nature, or of the blood
2. The state or condition of having recoiled.
   • The recoil from formalism is skepticism.1850, Frederick William Robertson, second address delivered to the members of the Working Men's Institute, Brighton
3. The energy transmitted back to the shooter from a firearm which has fired. Recoil is a function of the weight of the weapon, the weight of the projectile, and the speed at which it leaves the muzzle.
4. An escapement in which, after each beat, the scape-wheel recoils slightly.

Verb

IPA/ɹɪˈkɔɪl/

recoil (third-person singular simple present recoils, present participle recoiling, simple past and past participle recoiled)

1. (intransitive) To pull back, especially in disgust, horror or astonishment.
   • He recoiled in disgust when he saw the mess.
   • For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines. As we marveled at their ability to beat chess champions and predict protein structures, we also recoiled from their inherent uncanniness, not to mention the threats to our sense of humanity.2025 December 11, Charlie Campbell, Andrew R. Chow and Billy Perrigo, “The Architects of AI Are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year”, in Time
2. (archaic, intransitive) To recoil before an opponent.
   • that rude rout […] forced them, how ever strong and stout / They were, as well approv'd in many a doubt, / Backe to recule […]1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
3. (intransitive) Of a firearm: to quickly push back when fired.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To retire, withdraw.
   • Ye both forwearied be: therefore a whyle / Iread you rest, and to your bowres recoyle.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
   • Thus vvhen this Courtly Gentleman vvith toyle / Himſelfe hath vvearied, he doth recoyle / Vnto his reſt, and there vvith ſvveete delight / Of Muſicks skill reuiues his toyled ſpright, […]1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC, signature O2...