grenade

noun

gre·​nade grə-ˈnād 

: a small missile that contains an explosive or a chemical agent (such as tear gas, a flame producer, or a smoke producer) and that is thrown by hand or projected (as by a rifle or special launcher)

Examples of grenade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Portland, Oregon, officers deployed tear gas and flash grenades after demonstrators breached an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, injuring four police officers. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire in the following days, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. —Doug Padilla, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025

Rule #3: All five-second grenade fuses are three seconds. —Chip Bell, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Martin and her boyfriend at the time were startled out of bed with a flash-bang grenade and guns raised, as her 7-year-old son screamed from another room. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, literally, pomegranate, from Late Latin granata, from Latin, feminine of granatus seedy, from granum grain — more at corn

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grenade

• concussion grenade
• flash-bang grenade
• flash grenade
• fragmentation grenade
• smoke grenade
• stun grenade

Rhymes for grenade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

grenade

noun

gre·​nade grə-ˈnād 

: a small bomb that is thrown by hand or launched (as by a rifle)

Etymology

from early French grenade, granade "pomegranate, grenade," from Latin granata "pomegranate," derived from Latin granatus "seedy," from granum "grain, seed" — related to garnet, grain, pomegranate see Word History at garnet