Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842), British army officer who invented such bombs

shrapnel

 noun
     
Related topics: Weapons
shrap‧nel [uncountable]
PMW small pieces of metal from a bomb, bullet etc that are scattered when it explodes:
a soldier with shrapnel wounds in his chest
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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