bullet (bulet)

[F. boulet, a cannon-ball, dim. of OF. boule, a ball, > E. bowl2, of which bullet is thus practically a diminutive: see bowl2.] 1. A small ball. When one doth die another is elected by the Great Master and his Knights, who give their voices by bullets, as do the Venetians. Sandys, Travels, p. 180. Specifically -2. A small metallic projectile intended to be discharged from a firearm: commonly limited to leaden projectiles for small IMG:content-2717.png:[graphic] IMG:content-2718.png:[graphic] IMG:content-2719.png:[blocks in formation] recent construction is a, Minié; b, Enfield; c, Springfield; elongated and conical, d, Pru ian needle-gun. or rather ogival, at the apex, somewhat like half an egg drawn out, with a hollow into which plug of wood or anthelasma caulay is inserted, which are filled with beeswax to lubricate the barrel while the bullet driving the header the sun is fired plug is forward to of cavity, forcing the base of the bullet outward till the lead com pletely fills the grooves in the rifled barrel. The plug is often omitted, the base of the bullet being forced into the grooves by the expansive force of the powder. 3. In her., a roundel sable (that is, a black circle), supposed to represent a cannon-ball.Bullet compa ed bull very bullet has its billet. See billet1 . ( mil it .), an gated projectile with one or more grooves or cannelures encircling it, as distinguished from the patched bullet formerly used. bullet-bag (bul'et-bag), n. A leathern pouch for holding bullets, formerly carried attached to a bandoleer or baldric. When the baldric was not worn, the bullet-bag was attached to the girdle, beside the powder-flask. bullet-headed (bil'et-hed"ed), a. 1. Roundheaded.-2. Stupid; doltish. bullet-hook (bul'et-huk), n. tracting bullets. A tool for ex time. the date was appended. news, notices, etc. bullet-ladle (bül'et-la dl), n. A hemispheri A ma cal ladle for melting lead to run bullets. bullet-machine (bul'et-ma-shēn"), n. chine for forming bullets. The metal, in the form of a coil, is cut into short lengths as it unwinds, and these blanks are then pre ed into shape between dies.