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Synonyms

bullet

American  
[bool-it] / ˈbʊl ɪt /

noun

  1. a small metal projectile, part of a cartridge, for firing from small arms.

  2. a cartridge.

  3. a small ball.

  4. Printing. a heavy dot for marking paragraphs or otherwise calling attention to or itemizing particular sections of text, especially in display advertising.

  5. Cards. an ace.

verb (used without object)

bulleted, bulleting

  1. to move swiftly.

idioms

  1. bite the bullet, to force oneself to perform a painful, difficult task or to endure an unpleasant situation.

    We'll just have to bite the bullet and pay higher taxes.
bullet British  
/ ˈbʊlɪt /

noun

    1. a small metallic missile enclosed in a cartridge, used as the projectile of a gun, rifle, etc

    2. the entire cartridge

  2. something resembling a bullet, esp in shape or effect

  3. stock exchange a fixed interest security with a single maturity date

  4. commerce a security that offers a fixed interest and matures on a fixed date

  5. commerce

    1. the final repayment of a loan that repays the whole of the sum borrowed, as interim payments have been for interest only

    2. ( as modifier )

      a bullet loan

  6. slang dismissal, sometimes without notice (esp in the phrases get or give the bullet )

  7. printing See centred dot

  8. See bite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bullet More Idioms  

  1. see bite the bullet; sweat bullets.

Other Word Forms

  • bullet-like adjective
  • bulletless adjective
  • bulletlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of bullet

1550–60; < Middle French boullette, equivalent to boulle ball ( bowl 2 ) + -ette -ette

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At the heart of that debate is a bigger question: Is AI a tool—a silver bullet to answer hard questions or find new efficiencies?

From The Wall Street Journal

South Korean filmmakers generally accept generative AI as an unstoppable trend, if not a silver bullet that could save an industry beleaguered by rising costs.

From BBC

Less-lethal munitions such as beanbag rounds are designed to spread the force of impact over a larger area, without penetrating the skin, offering officers an alternative to bullets when defending against threats.

From Los Angeles Times

SRG doesn’t use tear gas or shoot “pepper balls” or rubber bullets as seen in other cities.

From The Wall Street Journal

At least for the moment, we have dodged that bullet.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.