Definition of shrapnel
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
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Examples of shrapnel in a Sentence
He has a piece of shrapnel in his leg.
Shrapnel from the explosion wounded many people.
Recent Examples of shrapnel from the Web
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The superstar brought each a sunflower and a teddy bear, according to Lauren Thorpe, whose eight-year-old daughter, Lily, suffered a shrapnel wound in her back as a result of the bombing.
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Rohit Kachroo, security editor for NBC News' U.K. partner ITV News, reported that nuts and bolts were spotted in the arena's foyer but police would not comment on whether victims had suffered wounds from shrapnel.
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Brandt, with shrapnel under his skin and nightmares in his head, has too.
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A landmine explosion ripped his left thigh apart and left shrapnel in his left arm.
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The discomfort grew on Wednesday (May 24), after The New York Times posted a story that contained a number of photos of what are believed to be the detonator, a battery and shrapnel that bomber Salman Abedi used in the attack.
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Many of the injuries were reportedly caused by metal nuts and bolts, which had been packed around the explosive as homemade shrapnel.
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An experimental shrapnel bomb accidentally exploded in Romania, Reuters reports, killing 15 engineers and munitions workers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shrapnel'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of shrapnel
Henry Shrapnel †1842 English artillery officer
First Known Use: 1806
SHRAPNEL Defined for English Language Learners
shrapnel
playDefinition of shrapnel for English Language Learners
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: small metal pieces that scatter outwards from an exploding bomb, shell, or mine
SHRAPNEL Defined for Kids
shrapnel
playDefinition of shrapnel for Students
: small metal pieces that scatter outwards from an exploding bomb, shell, or mine
Learn More about shrapnel
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See words that rhyme with shrapnel Spanish Central: Translation of shrapnel Nglish: Translation of shrapnel for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shrapnel
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