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

And the shrapnel causes the most appalling internal damage, destroying many of the internal organs. —Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR, 21 July 2025

Troopers located Sever’s truck later in the day July 20 and searched inside, finding zip tie cords identical to ones found within the shrapnel in the garage, investigators said. —Mike Stunson, Miami Herald, 28 July 2025

Now, Trumpists are finding the shrapnel does not spare them when the expectations and the reality are not neatly aligned. —Philip Elliott, Time, 22 July 2025

The priest survived, but had to be rushed to the hospital to have shrapnel from the bomb removed from his body. —Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 6 July 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