shrapnel
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shrapnel¹
- /ˈʃɹæpnəl/
Rhymes with -æpnəl
Where it comes from
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.
noun shrapnels
- An 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.
- The bullets or balls from the aforementioned type of artillery shell.
- Any shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or landmine.
- Debris. The dog ate my sandwich, and there was shrapnel all over the place from him tearing open the bag.
- Loose 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
Shrapnel²
Where it comes from
From French Charbonnel, from charbon (“coal, charcoal”).
proper noun Shrapnels
- A surname
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: shelling, mortar, chip, shard, splinter, strobe, sliver, debris, flash, glow, fragment, shine, lustre, outburst, brilliance, fragmentation
Translations
Every language
noun fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
| Español | shrapnel, metralla, esquirlas |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 유산탄 yusantan |
| 日本語 | 榴散弾 ryūsandan, 榴霰弾 ryūsandan |
| 中文 | 彈片 /弹片 dànpiàn |
| Português | estilhaço |
| Français | shrapnel |
| Deutsch | Schrapnell, Granatsplitter |
| Italiano | schegge, proiettili, scheggia di bomba |
| Ελληνικά | θραύσμα thráfsma, μύδρος mýdros |
| Română | șrapnel |
| Русский | шрапне́ль šrapnɛ́lʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | trái phá, đạn trái phá |
| العربية | شَظَايَا šaẓāyā |
noun artillery shell
| 中文 | 榴霰彈 /榴霰弹 liúxiàndàn, 霰彈 /霰弹 xiàndàn, 子母彈 /子母弹 zǐmǔdàn |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | गंजगोला gañjgolā |
| Français | shrapnel |
| Deutsch | Schrapnell |
| Italiano | bomba antiuomo |
| Română | șrapnel |
| Русский | шрапне́ль šrapnɛ́lʹ |
Talk about this word "shrapnel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shrapnel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. shrapnel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shrapnel "shrapnel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shrapnel.Cite this
@misc{shrapnel_2026,
title = {shrapnel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shrapnel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
