blank cartridge

American  

noun

Ordnance.

1. a cartridge containing powder only, without a bullet.

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blank cartridge British  

noun

1. a cartridge containing powder but no bullet: used in battle practice or as a signal

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Etymology

Origin of blank cartridge

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

A blank cartridge was loaded into one rifle without anyone knowing which.

From Washington Times • Mar. 24, 2023

Check while loading each blank cartridge into the gun.

From Fox News • Oct. 30, 2021

But just what exactly is a “prop gun,” what is a blank cartridge and how can they be so deadly?

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2021

It emerged the revolver, loaded with a blank cartridge, had most likely retained the fragment from earlier filming.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2017

Billy didn’t think there would be a blank cartridge issued in a squad that small, in a war that old.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut