rhizoverbBeta
DictionarypelletSmall compact piece
noun

pellet

PEL-it/ˈpelɪt/

A small rounded or compressed piece of material.

Each wood pellet compresses loose sawdust into a small rounded piece.

A few small round compressed wood pellets rest beside loose sawdust, showing compact little pieces of material.
Etymology
pelletOld Frenchsmall ball

Pelote meant “small ball,” and English used pellet for little balls of medicine, food, or metal. The modern sense retains that rounded shape while allowing many kinds of compressed material.

In context

Storytime Haven448:10
she rolled it into a little pellet and placed it in her mouth, chewing it slowly like a piece of chicle.
🕵️‍♂️ The Silent Bullet: A Craig Kennedy Mystery 🔍 | Arthur B. Reeve

More examples

  • The stove burns wood pellets to heat the house.
  • Spread the fertilizer pellets evenly over the soil.
  • A pellet from the air rifle dents the can.

Forms

pellet · pellets

pelletize verb — To form material into small, compact pieces.

Similar words

granule
A small grain, not necessarily rounded or deliberately compressed.
bead
Usually a smooth, rounded piece, often pierced for stringing.