shrapnel
nounattested in dialogue
- //ˈʃɹæpnəl//
Any shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or landmine.
noun
- 1
historicalAn anti-personnel artillery shell used in World War I which carries a large number of individual bullets or balls close to the target and then ejects them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually.
- 2
historicalThe bullets or balls from the aforementioned type of artillery shell.
- 3
Any shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or landmine.
- 4
figurativeDebris.
The dog ate my sandwich, and there was shrapnel all over the place from him tearing open the bag.
- 5
figurativeLoose change.
I was waiting in the queue, looking at the board / Wondering whether to have a burger or chips / Or what the shrapnel in my back pocket could afford
Etymology
From Shrapnel. Named after British army officer Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842) who invented an anti-personnel shell that transported a large number of bullets to the target before releasing them, at a far greater distance than rifles could fire the bullets individually. The surname is likely a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a diminutive of Old French charbon (“charcoal”) in reference to hair color, complexion, or the like.
Forms
- plural
- shrapnels
shrapnel · Any shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or landmine.
Shrapnel · A surnameshred · A fragment of something; a particle; a piece; also, a very…shredded · Cut or torn into narrow strips or small pieces.