noun

shrapnel

SHRAP-nul/ˈʃræpnəl/

Fragments scattered by an explosion.

Shrapnel flies outward from the exploding shell.

An exploding artillery shell scatters jagged metal casing fragments outward, with large, clearly metallic shards emphasized in the foreground.

Etymology

shrapnelEnglishsurname of shell inventor Henry Shrapnel

Shrapnel’s name first denoted his shell, designed to burst and scatter its load of shot. The word was later applied loosely to the metal fragments scattered by exploding shells or bombs.

In context

HowlRound Theatre Commons64:33

I had shrapnel that's little bits of metal in my arm and in my face

Helen Benedict's The Lonely Soldier Monologues—London—May 14, 2015

More examples

The wall was marked by shrapnel.
A fragment of shrapnel pierced the vehicle.
They found shrapnel after the blast.

Forms

shrapnel

Similar words

debris: Any scattered remains, not necessarily from an explosion.
fragment: Any broken piece without an explosive origin.