A
ricochet ( ) is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a
projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile: it can still be energetic and almost as dangerous as before the deflection. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface." Ricochets are sometimes called
car(r)oms.