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Definition shrapnel

Etymology

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.

Noun

shrapnel (usually uncountable, plural shrapnels)

1. (historical) An anti-personnel artillery shell used in WWI which carries a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejects them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually.
2. A collective term for shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb or landmine.
3. (slang) Loose change.
4. Debris.

Results 352 Words with the letters SHRAPNEL

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