Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Repulse

Repulse (r?-p?ls") , transitive verb

[Latin repulsus, past participle of repellere. See Repel.]

1.
To repel; to beat or drive back; as, to repulse an assault; to repulse the enemy.
Complete to have discovered and repulsed Whatever wiles of foe or seeming friend. — Milton
2.
To repel by discourtesy, coldness, or denial; to reject; to send away; as, to repulse a suitor or a proffer.

Repulse , noun

[Latin repulsa, from repellere, repulsum.]

1.
The act of repelling or driving back; also, the state of being repelled or driven back.
By fate repelled, and with repulses tired. — Denham
He received in the repulse of Tarquin seven hurts in the body. — Shakespeare
2.
Figuratively: Refusal; denial; rejection; failure.