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pel·let

(pĕlĭt)

1. A small, solid or densely packed ball or mass, as of food, wax, or medicine.

a. A bullet or piece of small shot.

b. A stone ball, used as a catapult missile or a primitive cannonball.

tr.v. pel·let·ed, pel·let·ing, pel·lets

1. To make or form into pellets.

2. To strike with pellets.

[Middle English pelet, from Old French pelote, from Vulgar Latin *pilotta, diminutive of Latin pila, ball; akin to pilus, hair (since the balls used in ancient Roman games were stuffed with hair).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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