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

From a would-be soccer star and a studious teen to a devoted volunteer, amputations, shrapnel wounds and trauma have rewritten futures yet failed to extinguish determination. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 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

Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, 37, also suffered severe shrapnel wounds from the blast and underwent multiple emergency surgeries at a Kuwaiti hospital. — Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Then, in November 2024, Abu Safiya was reportedly injured in his office during an Israeli quadcopter strike, resulting in shrapnel injuries to his thigh and back that caused serious bleeding, according to the humanitarian NGO MedGlobal. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 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