shrapnel
Americannoun
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Military.
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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.
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such projectiles collectively.
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shell fragments.
noun
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a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact
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such projectiles collectively
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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.
A Bangladeshi national was killed Wednesday by falling shrapnel from an intercepted drone in the United Arab Emirates.
From Barron's
In Kuwait, power lines were hit by air defense shrapnel, causing partial electricity outages for several hours.
From Los Angeles Times
In a sign of the risks, police said this week that shrapnel fragments had fallen on the Old City.
From Barron's
In Bnei Brak, another city in the Tel Aviv area, a man was lightly injured by shrapnel, the medical service said.
From Barron's
The size of the shrapnel that struck the CHP vehicles was described as 2 inches by 2½ inches.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
