rubber bullet
Noun: A projectile made from hard rubber, intended to be fired from a specialized gun. Its primary design purpose is for riot control or crowd management by law enforcement or military personnel. It is considered a less-lethal weapon, meaning it is designed to incapacitate, deter, or subdue individuals with a lower risk of causing fatal injury compared to conventional metal bullets, though it can still cause serious harm.
The term "rubber bullet" is used specifically to refer to this type of ammunition in contexts of public order policing, protests, and civil unrest. It describes the object itself, not the act of firing it.
- Police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
- Several protesters were injured by rubber bullets.
- The report questioned the safety standards of the rubber bullets used.
- "to fire rubber bullets": This is the standard verb collocation describing the action of using such ammunition.
- Authorities were authorized to fire rubber bullets if the situation escalated.
- The term often appears in discussions about police tactics, human rights, and the appropriate use of force in democratic societies.
- Less-lethal round / ammunition: A broader, more technical category that includes rubber bullets, as well as other projectiles like bean bag rounds and plastic bullets.
- Kinetic impact projectile: A formal, technical term often used in official reports and human rights documentation to describe rubber bullets and similar crowd-control devices.
- Plastic bullet: A similar less-lethal projectile, typically made from PVC or another hard plastic, often considered more dangerous than a rubber bullet.
- Less-lethal projectile
- Crowd-control round
- Riot control ammunition
While the core meaning is consistent, public perception of the term varies. Official sources may emphasize its design as a "less-lethal" or "non-lethal" option for de-escalation. Critics and human rights groups often highlight the weapon's potential for causing severe injury (such as blindness, bone fractures, or internal trauma) and may use the term in contexts arguing against its use or for stricter regulations. The material can also be a composite, not purely rubber.
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a bullet made of hard rubber; designed for use in crowd control
