[v. ri-koil; n. ree-koil, ri-koil] 
| 1. | to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust. |
| 2. | to spring or fly back, as in consequence of force of impact or the force of the discharge, as a firearm. |
| 3. | to spring or come back; react (usually fol. by on or upon): Plots frequently recoil upon the plotters. |
| 4. | Physics. (of an atom, a nucleus, or a particle) to undergo a change in momentum as a result either of a collision with an atom, a nucleus, or a particle or of the emission of a particle. |
| 5. | an act of recoiling. |
| 6. | the distance through which a weapon moves backward after discharging. |
