shrapnel
Use Shrapnel in a sentence
nl noun
1.
Military.
a.
a hollow projectile containing bullets or the like and a bursting charge, designed to explode before reaching the target, and to set free a shower of missiles.
b.
such projectiles collectively.
2.
shell fragments.
Origin:
1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor
1800–10; named after Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), English army officer, its inventor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To shrapnel
Collins
World English Dictionary
shrapnel (ˈʃræpnəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a. a projectile containing a number of small pellets or bullets exploded before impact |
| b. such projectiles collectively | |
| 2. | fragments from this or any other type of shell |
| [C19: named after H. Shrapnel (1761--1842), English army officer, who invented it] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Shrapnel
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shrapnel
1806, from Gen. Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842), who invented a type of exploding, fragmenting shell when he was a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery during the Peninsular War. The invention consisted of a hollow cannon ball, filled with shot, which burst in mid-air; his name for it was spherical case ammunition.
Sense of "shell fragments" is first recorded 1940. The surname is attested from 13c., and is believed to be a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a dim. form of O.Fr. charbon "charcoal," in ref. to complexion, hair color, or some other quality.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
shrapnel definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
Intermingled with the shards were pieces of shrapnel left over from the fighting.
Instead of rocks in a landslide, think of the runaway electrons as shrapnel tearing up a path through the storm cloud.
Each time someone questioned her about a term or some shrapnel of jargon, she offered a brief, lucid explanation.
The trick is to either grab shrapnel or coax it toward the planet, where it will burn up in the atmosphere.
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