Shrapnel
/ʃrˈæpnəl/
Listen pronunciation
Definition
(noun) 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.
Sentence Examples
The shrapnel from an explosion is usually more dangerous than the shock wave.
My grandfather has a piece of shrapnel in his chest.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldier was lucky to survive the explosion, though he was treated for minor injuries from flying ____.