shrapnel

noun

shrap·​nel ˈshrap-nᵊl How to pronounce shrapnel (audio)
 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 After three concussions and shrapnel wounds, Oleksii recently returned home. Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Aboveground, trees are shredded from months of shrapnel. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024 The Donetsk tour also includes hologram tributes to separatist rebels killed in fighting and a 6-foot rose sculpture made from shrapnel. Charles Maynes, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024 Vitaliy, 32, who is originally from Latvia, was being treated for major shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs. Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2024 Yonathan’s right leg was hit with shrapnel and the toes are still broken. Adi Rubinstein, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 The man, who has yet to be publicly identified, was standing at a carwash, about a quarter-mile away from the explosion in Clinton Township, Mich., when he was struck by airborne shrapnel from one of the canisters that officials said were illegally stored. Leo Sands, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Duncan said a firefighter was briefly hospitalized after he was hit with broken glass and shrapnel from the explosion. Elissa Robinson, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The conditions of her friend in Gaza, meanwhile, were dire: one of their children was injured by shrapnel, and food, water, and medicine were scarce. Mia Sato, The Verge, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shrapnel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Henry Shrapnel †1842 English artillery officer

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrapnel was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near shrapnel

Cite this Entry

“Shrapnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrapnel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shrapnel

noun
shrap·​nel ˈshrap-nᵊl How to pronounce shrapnel (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on shrapnel

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