grenade

American  

[gri-nayd] / grɪˈneɪd /

noun

• grenades
  plural

1. a small shell containing an explosive and thrown by hand or fired from a rifle or launching device.

2. a similar missile containing a chemical, as for dispersing tear gas or fire-extinguishing substances.

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verb (used with object)

grenaded, grenading

1. to attack with a grenade or grenades.

grenade British  

/ ɡrɪˈneɪd /

noun

1. a small container filled with explosive thrown by hand or fired from a rifle

2. a sealed glass vessel that is thrown and shatters to release chemicals, such as tear gas or a fire extinguishing agent

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grenades
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of grenade

1525–35; < French < Spanish granada pomegranate, special use of granado having grains < Latin grānātus. See grain, -ate ¹

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Explanation

A grenade is a small explosive device, a little bomb that can be thrown by hand. The earliest grenades were contained in ceramic jars and thrown by ancient Byzantine soldiers. If you've ever seen a war movie, you may have observed soldiers pulling pins out of hand-held grenades, throwing them, and watching them explode at a distance. The first grenades were extremely dangerous to the people holding them, and modern versions improved the thrower's safety even as they became more deadly for those they were used against. Larger grenades are propelled with launchers, gun-like weapons that are also used in combat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grenade grenades

Badly treated at home, a place he describes as “a hand grenade with the pin half pulled,” young Sylvester was thrown out of a dozen schools as his family moved from one situation to another.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

A police union source said he picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

Police have confirmed a suspicious item which led to road closures around a canal in Retford was a replica grenade.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Vaughters likened his comments to rolling “a grenade down the aisle,” but the blast was both explanatory and useful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Each word comes out like a little grenade.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Nunez told France 2 that officers could use stun grenades in case of "extremely serious urban violence".

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Why has France suspended the use of stun grenades on protesters?

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

An AFP photographer saw law enforcement use stun grenades to try disperse the crowds near Madison Square Garden.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

Mr. Hanks does not feel, like some others, that he has to sell us on the importance of the subject at hand, hurling superlatives like hand grenades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Whereupon a mile and a half of blundering fishermen went berserk, jumping into the stream and charging after the prey with everything except hatchets and hand grenades.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

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