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

The injured person was taken to a hospital after being hit by shrapnel in the lower body. —Eugenia Yosef, CNN, 18 Aug. 2024

These lock onto their target, guide themselves in, and explode before impact to spray the target with shrapnel. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2024

That assessment clarified recent congressional testimony from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who had signaled uncertainty about whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 29 July 2024

The woman suffered minor injuries by shrapnel or glass fragments, but the child was not physically harmed, Hagen said. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2024

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