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shrapnel
[ shrap-nl ]
/ ˈʃræp nl /
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noun
Military.
- a hollow projectile containing bullets or the like and a bursting charge, designed to explode before reaching the target, and to set free a shower of missiles.
- such projectiles collectively.
shell fragments.
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Origin of shrapnel
1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor
Words nearby shrapnel
shp, shpt., shr., shraddha, shrank, shrapnel, shreadhead, shred, shredded wheat, shredder, shredding
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use shrapnel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for shrapnel
shrapnel
/ (ˈʃræpnəl) /
noun
- a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact
- such projectiles collectively
fragments from this or any other type of shell
Word Origin for shrapnel
C19: named after H. Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, who invented it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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