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

Three people, including a child, were wounded as a result of shrapnel from the interception of Iranian attacks, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said, giving no details on their condition. — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Several people were injured by shrapnel from explosions at the commercial pier in the town of Sirik, which is in the Strait of Hormuz, and were transferred to a hospital in the nearby city of Minab, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. — Garrett Haake, NBC news, 7 July 2026

The shell landed about three feet from the teenage Hemingway, knocking him out and filling his legs with shrapnel. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026

The second victim who survived, I’yahni Reynolds was struck by a shrapnel that lodged in her face. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 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