Minié ball

American  

[min-ee, min-ee-ey, mee-nyey] / ˈmɪn i, ˈmɪn iˌeɪ, miˈnjeɪ /

noun

1. a conical bullet with a hollow base that expanded when fired, used in the 19th century.

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Minié ball British  

/ ˈmɪnɪˌeɪ, miɲe /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of Minié ball

1855–60; named after C. E. Minié (1814–79), French officer who invented it

Example Sentences

Invented by the Frenchman Claude-Etienne Minié, the Minié ball was a cone-shaped ball of lead with a hollow base.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2015

Minié ball from hundreds of bullets stashed in front of our counter and wondered whether my grandfather knew what he was signing us up for when he found his first one.

From Time • Jun. 30, 2015

At another time, he sent me a diminutive plough made from the parapet wood, with traces of lead, and a lead point made from a Minié ball.

From My Cave Life in Vicksburg With Letters of Trial and Travel by Loughborough, Mary Ann

"Yes; I received a Minié ball there at Gettysburg, and although the bullet was extracted, the wound never properly healed."

From My Lady of the North by Parrish, Randall

Miraculous to remark, the British Government for once appear to have appreciated a useful invention, and various experiments with the Minié ball were carried on with an energy so unusual as to be startling.

From Lands of the Slave and the Free Cuba, the United States, and Canada by Murray, Henry A.