shrapnel

[shrap-nl]

noun

1. Military.

   1. 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.

   2. such projectiles collectively.

2. shell fragments.

shrapnel

/ ˈʃræpnəl /

noun

1. 1. a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact

   2. such projectiles collectively

2. fragments from this or any other type of shell

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrapnel¹

1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrapnel¹

C19: named after H. Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, who invented it

Example Sentences

His spine was severed by shrapnel, leaving him with a T10 complete spinal cord injury and paralysed from the waist down.

Read more on BBC

With his pants around his ankles, a tall man let out a volley of curses and jokes to lighten the mood as a doctor removed a piece of shrapnel from his bloodied buttock.

Read more on Barron's

Hostages freed earlier said they were with him in Hamas’s underground tunnels, where he was kept in shackles and still had a piece of shrapnel lodged in his eye.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Pictures showed shattered windows, cracks from shrapnel, a gaping hole in the mud-brick wall and twisted metal from hospital beds covering the floor.

Read more on BBC

The smart shops and restaurants running down to the beach are now pockmarked with shrapnel and bullet holes, the park with its French-manicured trees, is buried under grey rubble.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ammo 
• armament 
• bomb 
• bullet 
• cartridge 
• chemical 
• explosive 
• gunpowder 
• materiel 
• missile 
• munition 
• napalm 
• rocket 
• torpedo