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

The operator says at the end that he had been hit by shrapnel. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Policing in Wartime Ukraine: For Volodymyr Nikulin, being a cop in Ukraine means aiding evacuees, surviving a shrapnel wound and tackling looters. —Lynsey Chutel, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025

But shortly after celebrating her team’s unbeaten season, Haidar was struck by shrapnel during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. —Emily Olsen, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

At the same time, Russian air defense was targeting Ukrainian drones in the region and the passenger plane is reported to have been struck by shrapnel. —Marisa Garcia, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025

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