Standard Lemma guide

pellet

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, UK, US: /ˈpɛl.ɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈpel.ɪt/
  • rhymes with -ɛlɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: P EH1 L AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a pellet of wood, paper, or ore

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls and many other birds of prey, which serves as a waste disposal mechanism for indigestible parts of food, such as fur and bones.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A roundel sable (black circular spot).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, heraldry, hobbies, lifestyle, monarchy, nobility, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ogress

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

One of the short conductive tubes in a Pelletron particle accelerator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To form into pellets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pelletize

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To strike with pellets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a solid missile discharged from a firearm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the shot buzzed past his ear

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: projectile, missile

Narrower terms: BB, BB shot, bird shot, buckshot, duck shot, grapeshot, grape, musket ball, ball

9

noun

Meaning 9

a small sphere

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ball, globe, orb

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pelote, pelet, from Old French pelote (“small ball”), from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila (“ball”). Doublet of pelota.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: топче (topče) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Catalan: pèl·let — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Dutch: balletje — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Dutch: propje — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Dutch: pellet — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Finnish: pelletti — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • French: granule — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Hindi: ढेला (ḍhelā) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Hungarian: granulátum — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Māori: hāmoamoa — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Persian: حبه (habbe) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Polish: granulka — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Portuguese: sedimento — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Russian: ока́тыш (okátyš) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Slovak: granula — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Spanish: bolita — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Spanish: pellet (pélet) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Swedish: pellet — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Tagalog: kamil — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Turkish: top — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Ukrainian: ока́ток (okátok) — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Welsh: pelen — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Welsh: peled — A small, compressed, hard chunk of matter
  • Bulgarian: сачма (sačma) — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Catalan: perdigó — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Czech: diabolka — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Dutch: kogeltje — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Dutch: hagelkorrel — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Finnish: luoti — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • French: plomb — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Hindi: ढेला (ḍhelā) — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Hungarian: sörét — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Korean: 총탄 (chongtan) — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Persian: ساچمه (sâčme) — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Polish: śrut — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Portuguese: pelota de chumbo — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Portuguese: chumbinho — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Scottish Gaelic: peilear — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Spanish: balín — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Spanish: perdigón — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Tagalog: kamil — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Welsh: peled — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Yoruba: àhàyá — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Yup'ik: kal'ciissaaq — A lead projectile used as ammunition in rifled air guns
  • Catalan: egagròpila — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Dutch: uilenbal — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Dutch: braakbal — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Finnish: oksennuspallo — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • French: pelote — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • German: Gewölle — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Hungarian: köpet — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Hungarian: bagolyköpet — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Icelandic: bollur — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Portuguese: plumada — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Portuguese: egagrópila — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Russian: пога́дка (pogádka) — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Spanish: egagrópila — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Swedish: spyboll — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls
  • Ukrainian: погадка (pohadka) — Compressed byproduct of digestion regurgitated by owls