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 were wounded and several houses were damaged by fire and shrapnel in the town just north of Haifa. —NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service reported at least one man injured by shrapnel in the Lower Galilee area and another lightly hurt while making his way to a shelter. —David Brennan, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2024

Long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can cause these airbags to explode with flying shrapnel instead of safely deploying as designed. —Matthew Dolan, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024

Oleksandr said the vast majority of his patients, some 90%, have suffered multiple shrapnel injuries. —Alex Platt, CNN, 12 Sep. 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