tracer bullet

noun

1. a bullet containing a tracer.

tracer bullet

noun

1. a round of small arms ammunition containing a tracer

Word History and Origins

Origin of tracer bullet¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The actors could watch “tracer bullets” whiz past and see explosions in midair and the eyelines would all be correct.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the workers saw tracer bullets fired across the night sky from the roof of one of the plant's buildings, probably at a drone.

From Reuters

Every tracer bullet I saw was hitting something.

From Seattle Times

The most worrying moments, he said, included firefights when he could see tracer bullets overhead, and a when a jet buzzed the town just a few hundred feet overhead.

From Seattle Times

The women watching from the ground saw the gleaming red bursts of tracer bullets across the dark sky.

From Literature