ricochet

ricochet, in gunnery, rebound of a projectile that strikes a hard surface, or the rebounding projectile itself. At one time a form of fire known as ricochet was widely used; artillery was aimed to permit the shot to strike and rebound in a succession of skips. The invention of this type of fire in the late 17th century, usually attributed to the French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, greatly influenced both sieges and...