flechette

F4L1E1C3H4E1T1T1E1
/fleɪˈʃɛt/

noun

A small sharp antipersonnel projectile, used as shrapnel, fired from a shotgun, or scattered from an aircraft.

OriginFrench fléchette →
Scrabble 17
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounflechette (countable and uncountable, plural flechettes)

plural flechettes · alternative fléchette

  1. countableuncountableA small sharp antipersonnel projectile, used as shrapnel, fired from a shotgun, or scattered from an aircraft.
  2. dateduncountableThe game of lawn darts.

    1907, Country-side: A Wildlife Magazine, v. 5 (1907), p. 26. British Empire Naturalist's Association. The Game of Flechette can be confidently recommended to amuse the seniors at a garden party

Origin

  1. Frenchfléchette“small arrow”
  2. Englishflechette

From French fléchette (“small arrow”), diminutive of flèche (“arrow”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish nuoliammus
  • nuoliammussmall sharp antipersonnel projectile
Italian freccetta
  • freccettasmall sharp antipersonnel projectile
Turkish fleşet
  • fleşetsmall sharp antipersonnel projectile

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with flechette

getsetinternetletyetnetdebtpetmetheatforgetthreatjetbetoffsetroulettecassetteresetbrunettecigarettebethgazetteateupset
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

flechette. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flechette

MLA

“flechette.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flechette. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flechette,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flechette.

Source: flechette on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.