Shrapnel (noun)
sh-rap-nel
Fragments of a bomb, shell, or other object thrown out by an explosion.
(British Informal) Small change
Early 19th century named after General Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842), the British soldier who invented the shell; the sense ‘fragments of a bomb or shell’ originated during the First World War.
Example sentences
“He was killed by a piece of shrapnel, even though the bomb missed him.”
“All i got for my troubles was a hangover and a pocket full of shrapnel.”
