shrapnel
Americannoun
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Military.
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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.
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such projectiles collectively.
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shell fragments.
noun
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a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact
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such projectiles collectively
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fragments from this or any other type of shell
Etymology
Origin of shrapnel
1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor
Explanation
Shrapnel refers to the pieces of a bomb, shell, or bullet that has exploded. During wars, many soldiers are treated for shrapnel wounds. When people are injured or killed by bombs, many of them are hurt by flying shrapnel — sharp, dangerous shards of metal. Shrapnel gets its name from General Henry Shrapnel of the British Army's Royal Artillery, who, during the Peninsular War, invented an exploding shell that broke apart and shattered when it was detonated.
Vocabulary lists containing shrapnel
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
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Code Talker
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Red Queen
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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.
Even threats that are shot down scatter dangerous shrapnel over large areas, and airports are often at risk.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
In Bnei Brak, another city in the Tel Aviv area, a man was lightly injured by shrapnel, the medical service said.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
The type of shrapnel bomb was "specific to IS attacks", the statement said.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Hadeel Sinzawi, 22, said she has been waiting for a medical evacuation for a year and a half to treat a shrapnel injury she sustained during the war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026
Bits of debris and shrapnel rain around them, like the little black spots that appear on-screen in old movies.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
