recoil

recoils, recoiling, recoiled

(The verb is pronounced [[t]rɪkɔ͟ɪl[/t]]. The noun is pronounced [[t]ri͟ːkɔɪl[/t]].)

1) VERB If something makes you recoil, you move your body quickly away from it because it frightens, offends, or hurts you.

For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. I recoiled in horror...

[V from n] We are attracted by nice smells and recoil from nasty ones.

N-UNCOUNT

Recoil is also a noun.

His reaction was as much of a rebuff as a physical recoil. ...his small body jerking in recoil from the volume of his shouting.

2) VERB If you recoil from doing something or recoil at the idea of something, you refuse to do it or accept it because you dislike it so much.

[V from n] People used to recoil from the idea of getting into debt...

[V at n] She recoiled at the number of young girls who had to live by selling their bodies.

3) N-SING: also no det The recoil of a gun is the quick backward movement that it makes when it is fired.

The policeman fires again, tensed against the recoil, unleashing round after round at his assailant...

I assembled the weapon, checked the firing and recoil mechanism and loaded it.