from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Recoil \Re*coil"\, n.
1. A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking; as,
the recoil of nature, or of the blood.
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2. The state or condition of having recoiled.
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The recoil from formalism is skepticism. --F. W.
Robertson.
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3. Specifically, the reaction or rebounding of a firearm when
discharged.
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{Recoil dynamometer} (Gunnery), an instrument for measuring
the force of the recoil of a firearm.
{Recoil escapement}. See the Note under {Escapement}.
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