grapeshot

[ greyp-shot ]

noun

1. a cluster of small cast-iron balls formerly used as a charge for a cannon.

grapeshot

/ ˈɡreɪpˌʃɒt /

noun

1. ammunition for cannons consisting of a canvas tube containing a cluster of small iron or lead balls that scatter after firing

Word History and Origins

Origin of grapeshot¹

First recorded in 1740–50; grape + shot ¹

Example Sentences

The injuries to one soldier, Mr. Catts said, included “a musket ball in the lower part of his back above where his pelvis should be; a lead canister shot in the middle of his back, where he had no more thoracic vertebra; and then a one-and-a-half-inch iron grapeshot that seems to have taken off his left arm.”

From New York Times

Some of the bones display wounds from musket balls and from grapeshot that would have been fired from cannons inside the fort or from ships in the river.

From New York Times

The biggest link between TikTok and Oracle could lie in the company’s data-as-a-service business, which offers advertisers and data brokers access to user profiles through acquisitions including BlueKai, Datalogix and Grapeshot.

From The Guardian

Ceremonies at the memorial marking the 75th anniversary of the Okinawa campaign along with Operation Varsity, the final paratrooper assault in Europe, and Operation Grapeshot, the final Allied offensive in Italy, had to be held online, Mr. Warner said.

From Washington Times

Particle beams called hell lances as well as missiles and grapeshot: “little metal ball bearings, a great kinetic weapon in space.”

From Washington Post