Meanings
shrapnel1
nounshrapnel (usually uncountable, plural shrapnels)
plural shrapnels
- historicaluncountableusuallygovernmentAn 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.
- historicaluncountableusuallygovernmentThe bullets or balls from the aforementioned type of artillery shell.
- broadlyfigurativelyuncountableusuallyDebris.
The dog ate my sandwich, and there was shrapnel all over the place from him tearing open the bag.
- figurativelyslanguncountableusuallyLoose change.
I was waiting in the queue, looking at the board / Wondering whether to have a burger or chips / Or what the shrapnel in my back pocket could afford
2004, “Fit But You Know It”, in Mike Skinner (lyrics), A Grand Don't Come For Free, performed by The Streets
Shrapnel2
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
shrapnel · noun
From Shrapnel. Named after British army officer Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842) who invented an anti-personnel shell that transported a large number of bullets to the target before releasing them, at a far greater distance than rifles could fire the bullets individually. The surname is likely a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a diminutive of Old French charbon (“charcoal”) in reference to hair color, complexion, or the like.
Full word history & related roots →Shrapnel · proper noun
- FrenchCharbonnel
- EnglishShrapnel
From French Charbonnel, from charbon (“coal, charcoal”).
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans skrapnel
- skrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Arabic شَظَايَا
- شَظَايَا (šaẓāyā)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Bulgarian шрапне́л, шрапне́л
- шрапне́л (šrapnél)artillery shell
- шрапне́л (šrapnél)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Chinese Mandarin 榴霰彈 /榴霰弹, 霰彈 /霰弹
- 榴霰彈 /榴霰弹 (liúxiàndàn)artillery shell
- 霰彈 /霰弹 (xiàndàn)artillery shell
- 子母彈 /子母弹 (zǐmǔdàn)artillery shell
- 彈片 /弹片 (dànpiàn)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Czech šrapnel
- šrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Danish granatsplint
- granatsplintfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Dutch granaatscherven
- granaatschervenfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Esperanto ŝrapnelo
- ŝrapnelofragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Estonian šrapnell
- šrapnellfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Finnish srapnelli, sirpaleet
- srapnelliartillery shell
- sirpaleetfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
French shrapnel, shrapnel
- shrapnelartillery shell
- shrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
German Schrapnell, Schrapnell
- Schrapnellartillery shell
- Schrapnellfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- Granatsplitterfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Greek θραύσμα, μύδρος
- θραύσμα (thráfsma)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- μύδρος (mýdros)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Hindi गंजगोला
- गंजगोला (gañjgolā)artillery shell
Hungarian repesz
- repeszfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Italian bomba antiuomo, schegge
- bomba antiuomoartillery shell
- scheggefragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- proiettilifragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- scheggia di bombafragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Japanese 榴散弾, 榴霰弾
- 榴散弾 (ryūsandan)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- 榴霰弾 (ryūsandan)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Korean 유산탄, 류산탄
- 유산탄 (yusantan)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- 류산탄 (ryusantan)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Latvian šrapnelis
- šrapnelisfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Lithuanian šrapnelis
- šrapnelisfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Malay serpihan peluru, serpihan bom
- serpihan pelurufragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- serpihan bomfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Māori matā korara
- matā korarafragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Polish szrapnel, szrapnel
- szrapnelartillery shell
- szrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Portuguese estilhaço
- estilhaçofragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Romanian șrapnel, șrapnel
- șrapnelartillery shell
- șrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Russian шрапне́ль, шрапне́ль
- шрапне́ль (šrapnɛ́lʹ)artillery shell
- шрапне́ль (šrapnɛ́lʹ)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Slovak šrapnel
- šrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Spanish shrapnel, metralla
- shrapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- metrallafragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- esquirlasfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Swedish splitter
- splitterfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Thai ลูกแตก, สะเก็ด
- ลูกแตกartillery shell
- สะเก็ด (sà-gèt)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- สะเก็ดระเบิดfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Turkish şarapnel
- şarapnelfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Ukrainian шрапне́ль, шрапне́ль
- шрапне́ль (šrapnélʹ)artillery shell
- шрапне́ль (šrapnélʹ)fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Vietnamese trái phá, đạn trái phá
- trái pháfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
- đạn trái pháfragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with shrapnel
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
shrapnel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrapnel
MLA
“shrapnel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrapnel. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shrapnel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shrapnel.
Source: shrapnel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.