recoil

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: re=coil

CIDE DICTIONARY

recoil, v. i. [OE. recoilen, F. reculer, fr. L. pref. re- re- + culus the fundament. The English word was perhaps influenced in form by accoil.].

•  To start, roll, bound, spring, or fall back; to take a reverse motion; to be driven or forced backward; to return.  [1913 Webster]

  "Evil on itself shall back recoil."  [1913 Webster]

  "The solemnity of her demeanor made it impossible . . . that we should recoil into our ordinary spirits."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To turn or go back; to withdraw one's self; to retire.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

recoil, v. t. 

 To draw or go back.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

recoil, n. 

•  A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking; as, the recoil of nature, or of the blood.  [1913 Webster]
•  The state or condition of having recoiled.  [1913 Webster]

  "The recoil from formalism is skepticism."  [1913 Webster]
•  Specifically, the reaction or rebounding of a firearm when discharged.  [1913 Webster]

Recoil dynamometer (Gunnery), an instrument for measuring the force of the recoil of a firearm. -- Recoil escapement. See the Note under Escapement.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

recoil, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 suddenly move or spring back in fear, horror, or disgust.
2 shrink mentally in this way.
3 rebound after an impact.
4 (foll. by on, upon) have an adverse reactive effect on (the originator).
5 (of a gun) be driven backwards by its discharge.
6 retreat under an enemy's attack.
7 Physics (of an atom etc.) move backwards by the conservation of momentum on emission of a particle.
--n. also 1 the act or an instance of recoiling.
2 the sensation of recoiling.

Etymology

ME f. OF reculer (as RE-, L culus buttocks)

THESAURUS

recoil

about the bush, antagonism, antipathy, avoid, avoidance, backfire, backlash, backlashing, backwash, balk, bashfulness, beat around, beg the question, blanch, blench, blink, boggle, boggling, boomerang, bounce, bounce back, bound, bound back, cannon, cannon off, carom, clashing, clout, collision, comeback, compunction, conflict, confutation, contradiction, contraposition, contrariety, contrecoup, counter, counteraction, counterblast, counterblow, counterposition, counterstroke, counterworking, crankiness, cringe, crotchetiness, demur, demurral, diffidence, disapprove of, dissent, dodge, draw back, duck, equivocate, evade, evasion, exchange, fade, fall back, fallback, falter, faltering, fence, fight shy of, flinch, fly back, force, friction, funk, give-and-take, grimace, hang back, hang off, have qualms, have repercussions, hedge, hem and haw, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitate, hesitation, hold off, impact, impress, impression, imprint, interchange, interference, jib, kick, kick back, kickback, lash back, look askance at, make bones about, mark, modesty, nonconformity, objection, opposition, opposure, oppugnance, oppugnancy, parry, pause, perverseness, print, protest, pull away, pull back, pullback, pullout, pussyfoot, put off, quail, quake, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, reaction, rebound, rebuff, recalcitrance, recalcitrate, recalcitration, reciprocation, reel back, reflex, renitency, repercuss, repercussion, reply, repugnance, repulse, resile, resilience, resistance, response, retaliation, retort, retreat, return, revolt, revolt at, ricochet, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, shake, sheer off, shift, shift off, show distaste for, shrink, shrink back, shrink from, shrinking, shudder, shudder at, shy, shy at, shy away, shy off, shyness, sidestep, sidestepping, snap back, spring, spring back, squinch, start, start aside, start back, step aside, stick, stick at, stickle, stickling, strain, swerve, swimming upstream, tremble, turn aside, ward off, waver, weasel, weasel out, wince

ROGET THESAURUS

recoil

Unwillingness

N unwillingness, indisposition, indisposedness, disinclination, aversation, nolleity, nolition, renitence, renitency, reluctance, indifference, backwardness, slowness, want of alacrity, want of readiness, indocility, scrupulousness, scrupulosity, qualms of conscience, twinge of conscience, delicacy, demur, scruple, qualm, shrinking, recoil, hesitation, fastidiousness, averseness, dissent, refusal, unwilling, not in the vein, loth, loath, shy of, disinclined, indisposed, averse, reluctant, not content, adverse, laggard, backward, remiss, slack, slow to, indifferent, scrupulous, squeamish, repugnant, restiff, restive, demurring, unconsenting, involuntary, unwillingly, grudgingly, with a heavy heart, with a bad, with an ill grace, against one's wishes, against one's will, against the grain, sore against one's wishes, sore against one's will, sore against one's grain, invita Minerva, a contre caeur, malgre soi, in spite of one's teeth, in spite of oneself, nolens volens, perforce, under protest, no, not for the world, far be it from me.

VB be unwilling, nill, dislike, grudge, begrudge, not be able to find it in one's heart to, not have the stomach to, demur, stick at, scruple, stickle, hang fire, run rusty, recoil, shrink, swerve, hesitate, avoid, oppose, dissent, refuse.

Avoidance

N avoidance, abstention, abstinence, for bearance, refraining, inaction, neutrality, avoidance, evasion, elusion, seclusion, avolation, flight, escape, retreat, recoil, departure, rejection, shirker, truant, fugitive, refugee, runaway, runagate, maroon, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild, Adj, lest, in order to avoid, Int, forbear!, keep off, hands off!, sauve qui peut!, every man for himself!, devil take the hindmost!, things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.

VB abstain, refrain, spare, not attempt, not do, maintain the even tenor of one's way, eschew, keep from, let alone, have nothing to do with, keep aloof keep off, stand aloof, stand off, hold aloof, hold off, take no part in, have no hand in, avoid, shun, steer clear of, keep clear of, fight shy of, keep one's distance, keep at a respectful distance, keep out of the way, get out of the way, evade, elude, turn away from, set one's face against, deny oneself, shrink back, hang back, hold back, draw back, recoil, retire, flinch, blink, blench, shy, shirk, dodge, parry, make way for, give place to, beat a retreat, turn tail, turn one's back, take to one's heels, runaway, run for one's life, cut and run, be off like a shot, fly, flee, fly away, flee away, run away from, take flight, take to flight, desert, elope, make off, scamper off, sneak off, shuffle off, sheer off, break away, tear oneself away, slip away, slink away, steel away, make away from, scamper away from, sneak away from, shuffle away from, sheer away from, slip cable, part company, turn one's heel, sneak out of, play truant, give one the go by, give leg bail, take French leave, slope, decamp, flit, bolt, abscond, levant, skedaddle, absquatulat, cut one's stick, walk one's chalks, show a light pair of heels, make oneself scarce, escape, go away, abandon, reject, lead one a dance, lead one a pretty dance, throw off the scent, play at hide and seek, Adj, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild.

Reversion

N reversion, return, revulsion, turning point, turn of the tide, status quo ante bellum, calm before a storm, alternation, inversion, recoil, retreat, regression, retrogression, restoration, relapse, recidivism, atavism, vicinism, reverting, regressive, revulsive, reactionary, retrorse, a rebours.

VB revert, turn back, regress, relapse, recoil, retreat, restore, undo, unmake, turn the tide, roll back the tide, turn the scale, tip the scale.

Recoil

N recoil, reaction, retroaction, revulsion, bounce, rebound, ricochet, repercussion, recalcitration, kick, contrecoup, springing back, elasticity, reflection, reflexion, reflex, reflux, reverberation, rebuff, repulse, return, ducks and drakes, boomerang, spring, reactionist, elastic collision, coefficient of restitution, recoiling, refluent, repercussive, recalcitrant, reactionary, retroactive, on the rebound, on the recoil, for every action there is a reaction, equal in force and opposite in direction.

VB recoil, react, spring back, fly back, bounce back, bound back, rebound, reverberate, repercuss, recalcitrate, echo, ricochet.

Recession

N recession, retirement, withdrawal, retreat, retrocession, departure, recoil, flight, receding, distance oneself from a person.