shrapnel
noun/ˈʃræpnəl/
/ˈʃræpnəl/
[uncountable]- small pieces of metal that are thrown out with a lot of force when a bomb explodes
- Two people were hit by shrapnel.
- a piece of shrapnel
- a shrapnel wound
Extra Examples- He took shrapnel to his leg.
- He was hit in the arm by flying shrapnel.
- The rocket sent shrapnel in every direction.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- flying
- deadly
- piece
- be hit by
- be killed by
- be wounded by
- …
- fly
- be lodged
- wound
- shrapnel from
- shrapnel in
Word Originearly 19th cent.: named after General Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), the British soldier who invented the shell.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
shrapnel