bullet
UK[ˈbʊlɪt]US[ˈbʊlɪt]
n
A small piece of metal fired from a gun.
Etymology
The word 'bullet' entered English in the late 16th century from the Middle French 'boulette', a diminutive form of 'boule', meaning 'ball'. This French term itself originates from the Latin 'bulla', signifying a 'bubble' or 'round object'. The semantic evolution is a clear and logical progression from a general term for a small, round object to the specific, modern meaning of a small metal projectile, shaped like a ball in early firearms. This journey from Latin 'bubble' to French 'little ball' to English 'projectile' exemplifies how a concrete, physical description becomes a precise technical term.
Analysis
The word 'bullet' is a simplex loanword from French. It is not productively segmented into meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The bullet lodged in the wall just inches from his head.
Police found several bullet casings at the scene of the crime.
She made a bullet-point list of the key issues to discuss.