fléchette

[ fley-shet ]

noun

, plural flé·chettes [fley-, shets, fley-, shet].

1. Military. a small, dartlike metal projectile used as shrapnel in antipersonnel bombs and shells.
2. a bullet with a thin, hard metal spine, designed to tumble on impact and thus cause an incapacitating wound.

fléchette

/ fleɪˈʃɛt /

noun

1. a steel dart or missile dropped from an aircraft, as in World War I

Word History and Origins

Origin of fléchette¹

From French, dating back to 1910–15; flèche, -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of fléchette¹

from French; see flèche