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Minié ball

[ min-ee, min-ee-ey; French mee-nyey ]
/ ˈmɪn i, ˈmɪn iˌeɪ; French miˈnyeɪ /
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noun
a conical bullet with a hollow base that expanded when fired, used in the 19th century.
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Origin of Minié ball

1855–60; named after C. E. Minié (1814–79), French officer who invented it
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Minié ball in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Minié ball

Minié ball
/ (ˈmɪnɪˌeɪ, French miɲe) /

noun
a conical rifle bullet, used in the 19th century, manufactured with a hollow base designed to expand when fired to fit the rifling

Word Origin for Minié ball

C19: named after Capt C. E. Minié (1814–1879), French army officer who invented it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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