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
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