shrapnel
Americannoun
-
Military.
-
a hollow projectile containing bullets or the like and a bursting charge, designed to explode before reaching the target, and to set free a shower of missiles.
-
such projectiles collectively.
-
-
shell fragments.
noun
-
-
a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact
-
such projectiles collectively
-
-
fragments from this or any other type of shell
Etymology
Origin of shrapnel
1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Large sandbags protect critical infrastructure, some riddled with holes from shrapnel.
From Barron's
"A 48-year-old civilian man was killed by shrapnel from the attack," he said.
From Barron's
Over that time, students and staff at Jordan High School complained that the facility’s operations coated their campus in toxic dust, occasionally pelted outdoor areas with shrapnel and disrupted classes with explosions.
From Los Angeles Times
On that day, shrapnel landed on a California Highway Patrol cruiser and motorcycle after an artillery shell exploded in midair prematurely, prompting an investigation from the Marines.
From Los Angeles Times
At least six people have died and two have been injured in crashes, after the company’s inflators ruptured and sprayed shrapnel around the vehicles’ cabin.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
