So, on a lark, I looked up the etymology for Bullet, wondering if it was maybe related to “Bull” (I mean, it’s kind of like a tiny metal bull… eh I was bored). Well, much as I suspected, bullet has no apparent relation to bull, being instead derived from a Latin word “Bulla” meaning “Round”. “Ball” is also derived from from that word, obviously. Ball and Bullet are both names for projectiles used in firearms, as is “Round”.
I was curious if anyone knew if “Round” in reference to firearms was related etymologically to Bullet and Ball, or if it had some other origin.
A “round” is another name for a bullet or cartridge. Historically, the word referred to a single mass discharge by a group of weapons (as with a round of drinks), then to a single discharge by one weapon, then to the projectile so discharged; in modern weapons, it usually refers to the bullet/propellant/casing combination called a “cartridge,” but it can still refer to the projectile, if you want.
The word “cartridge” has changed a bit over the years as well. These days we tend to use “bullet” and “cartridge” interchangeably. Back in the days of matchlocks and flintlocks, a cartridge was a paper tube that held a pre-measured amount of powder and a bullet or a ball (which was pre-greased in the case of minie balls and other bullets which required lubrication). These cartridges were not inserted whole into the weapon, as they are with modern firearms. Instead, the top was ripped off of the cartridge and the powder was poured into the barrel, followed by the round ball or bullet (the point being that it sped things up considerably on the battlefield because you didn’t have to stop and measure out each powder load). The modern cartridge, which a lot of folks just call a “bullet” these days, didn’t come into widespread use until the mid 1800s.
Of course you will find some purists who refuse to call a cartridge a bullet, and refuse to call a magazine a clip, even though both terms have morphed a bit in modern use.