shrapnel en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈʃɹæpnəl/
Etymology
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.
Meanings
- (historical, uncountable, usually) 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.
- (historical, uncountable, usually) The bullets or balls from the aforementioned type of artillery shell.
- (uncountable, usually) Any shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or landmine.
-
(broadly, figuratively, uncountable, usually) Debris.
The dog ate my sandwich, and there was shrapnel all over the place from him tearing open the bag.
-
(figuratively, slang, uncountable, usually) 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
2004, “Fit But You Know It”, in Mike Skinner (lyrics), A Grand Don't Come For Free, performed by The Streets:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| shrapnels | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
Hypernyms
Translations (82)
ug شراپنېل (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · el θραύσμα (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ka შრაპნელი (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · lv šrapnelis (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · be шрапнэ́ль (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · pt estilhaço (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · it bomba antiuomo (artillery shell) · et šrapnell (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · cs šrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · da granatsplint (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ar شَظَايَا (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · cmn 子母彈 /子母弹 (artillery shell) · cmn 彈片 /弹片 (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · tg шрапнел (artillery shell) · ja 榴霰弾 (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · mi matā korara (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · bg шрапне́л (artillery shell) · fa-ira تَرْکَش (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · tg шрапнел (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · pl szrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · nl granaatscherven (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ms serpihan peluru (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ja 榴散弾 (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ota صالقم (artillery shell) · de Schrapnell (artillery shell) · vo jräpnäl (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · es shrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · es esquirlas (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ru шрапне́ль (artillery shell) · sh šràpnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · tk şrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · de Schrapnell (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · sl šrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · vi trái phá (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ms serpihan bom (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · bg шрапне́л (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · fa-ira تَرْکِش (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · cmn 霰彈 /霰弹 (artillery shell) · hy կոտորակառումբ (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · lt šrapnelis (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · hu repesz (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · az şrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · hy շրապնել (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · pl szrapnel (artillery shell) · mk шрапнел (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · hi गंजगोला (artillery shell) · sq shrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · it proiettili (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · es metralla (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · fi srapnelli (artillery shell) · be шрапнэ́ль (artillery shell) · uz shrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ru шрапне́ль (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ro șrapnel (artillery shell) · th สะเก็ด (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · it scheggia di bomba (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · vi đạn trái phá (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ky шрапнель (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ko 유산탄 (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · fa-ira شِراپْنِل (artillery shell) · gl metralla (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · kk шрапнель (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ko 류산탄 (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · fr shrapnel (artillery shell) · mk шрапнел (artillery shell) · uk шрапне́ль (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · it schegge (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · scn scagghi (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · sv splitter (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · af skrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · cmn 榴霰彈 /榴霰弹 (artillery shell) · de Granatsplitter (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · fi sirpaleet (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · sh шра̀пнел (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · th สะเก็ดระเบิด (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · el μύδρος (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · uk шрапне́ль (artillery shell) · th ลูกแตก (artillery shell) · fr shrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · sk šrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · ro șrapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device) · tr şarapnel (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)