grenade
Americannoun
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grenades
plural
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a small shell containing an explosive and thrown by hand or fired from a rifle or launching device.
-
a similar missile containing a chemical, as for dispersing tear gas or fire-extinguishing substances.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small container filled with explosive thrown by hand or fired from a rifle
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a sealed glass vessel that is thrown and shatters to release chemicals, such as tear gas or a fire extinguishing agent
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of grenade
1525–35; < French < Spanish granada pomegranate, special use of granado having grains < Latin grānātus. See grain, -ate 1
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In June, a Russian drone dropped not a grenade but a loudspeaker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
One of the family's lawyers, Bertrand Wattez, said the boy, Evan, denied the police account, relayed by prosecutors, that he had tried to pick up the grenade when it went off on October 5.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 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
Ganfield said there was a flash, similar to when a grenade goes off in a film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
That would scare me so much my nose would probably explode like a blood grenade.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
Why has France suspended the use of stun grenades on protesters?
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told radio broadcaster RTL early Wednesday that he had suspended the police use of stun grenades at the protests.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
In California, Prince Harry could be treated as a faraway problem and was largely ignored by palace courtiers, who routinely refused to comment on the verbal grenades launched by the man fifth-in-line for the throne.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The security forces used tear gas and stun grenades.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
They fashioned guns out of sticks or folded paper, and grenades out of old water bottles.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
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