All 4 Uses
recoil
in
Dracula
(Auto-generated)
- The coastguard ran aft, and when he came beside the wheel, bent over to examine it, and recoiled at once as though under some sudden emotion.†
p. 89.6 *recoiled = moved back suddenly
- Van Helsing forced back the leaden flange, and we all looked in and recoiled.†
p. 222.9
- She recoiled from it, and, with a suddenly distorted face, full of rage, dashed past him as if to enter the tomb.†
p. 226.5
- This, as we looked, trailed under the door, which with the recoil from its bursting open, had swung back to its old position.†
p. 301.3recoil = to move backward suddenly
Definitions:
-
(1)
(recoil) to move backward suddenly (sometimes figuratively)especially:
- the backward jerk of a gun or cannon when it is fired
- when a person flinches (suddenly draws back) from someone or something, as with fear, disgust, or pain
- when a person is emotionally repulsed, as by disgust
- when something intended to go in one direction figuratively falls back in the opposite direction; for example, a story told to hurt someone that comes back to hurt the teller
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)