shrapnel

noun

shrap·​nel ˈshrap-nᵊl 

especially Southern ˈsrap-

plural shrapnel

1

: a projectile that consists of a case provided with a powder charge and a large number of usually lead balls and that is exploded in flight

2

: bomb, mine, or shell fragments

Examples of shrapnel in a Sentence

He has a piece of shrapnel in his leg.

Shrapnel from the explosion wounded many people.

Recent Examples on the Web

First Class Cory Hicks was among those injured, telling ABC’s Minnesota affiliate KSTP the strike led to internal injuries, shrapnel wounds, facial fractures and a traumatic brain injury. — Catherine Bouvet, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Soon, an Israeli checkpoint comes into view, where soldiers stand watch from the balconies of homes riddled with shrapnel. — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

One person was transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds, and the other person was being treated for injuries from glass shrapnel, police said. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

People further afield were killed or injured by flying shrapnel as well as by shells that exploded on impact. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Henry Shrapnel †1842 English artillery officer

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shrapnel

noun

shrap·​nel ˈshrap-nᵊl 

plural shrapnel

1

: a shell designed to burst and scatter metal balls with which it is filled along with jagged fragments of the case

2

: metal pieces from an exploded bomb, shell, or mine