grenade

noun gre·nade \ grə-ˈnād \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of grenade

: 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)

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Recent Examples of grenade from the Web

He was wounded twice -- once by grenade shrapnel, and another time when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

— brian albrecht, cleveland.com, "Afghan military interpreter finds new life in Akron, will talk about his journey April 16," 5 Apr. 2018
The first draft of its video, which was never released publicly, lays it on thick with its camo-and-ammo imagery and the singer pulling a hand grenade with her teeth and lobbing it at Dubya.

— morgan enos, Billboard, "Before Taylor Swift's 'Delicate,' These 10 Songs Had More Than One Music Video," 30 Mar. 2018
The disguised insurgents threw a grenade into a building where U.S. and Iraqi officers were meeting at the Provisional Joint Coordination Center in Karbala.

— author: charles wohlforth | opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "How a mountaintop in Alaska helped close the book on an atrocity in Iraq," 25 Feb. 2018
The information about the grenades came from a confidential informant who previously saw them, the report said.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Ada Metro SWAT feared police-shooting suspect had grenades, will to kill cops," 24 Jan. 2018
Its walls are lined with bombs, grenade launchers, automatic weapons, and shotguns taken straight out of a '90s video game.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Guess we should talk about Bright, now that it’s a freaking franchise," 6 Jan. 2018
On Tuesday, three Gazans armed with hand grenades managed to cross into Israel and travel some 30 kilometers (20 miles) before they were caught.

— fares akram, chicagotribune.com, "Palestinians prepare mass demonstrations along Gaza border," 28 Mar. 2018
The photos showed a pepper-ball gun, a flash grenade and and an explosive munition device that sends out balls at high speeds.

— anne ryman, azcentral, "Should Tasers be allowed on Arizona college campuses? Bill to permit stun guns advances," 8 Mar. 2018
Except for the smoke from the grenades and a few scrub trees, there was no cover, and no escape.

— CBS News, "ISIS propaganda video raises questions about deadly mission in Niger," 5 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grenade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of grenade

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

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First Known Use: 1591

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GRENADE Defined for English Language Learners

grenade

noun

Definition of grenade for English Language Learners

: a small bomb that is designed to be thrown by someone or shot from a rifle

GRENADE Defined for Kids

grenade

noun gre·nade \ grə-ˈnād \

Definition of grenade for Students

: a small bomb designed to be thrown by hand or fired (as by a rifle)

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See words that rhyme with grenade Spanish Central: Translation of grenade Nglish: Translation of grenade for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grenade for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grenade

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