Associations to the word «Shrapnel»

Wiktionary

SHRAPNEL, noun. (historical) An anti-personnel artillery shell used in WWI which carries a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejects them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually.
SHRAPNEL, noun. A collective term for shot, fragments, or debris thrown out by an exploding shell or landmine.
SHRAPNEL, noun. (slang) Loose change.
SHRAPNEL, noun. Debris.

Dictionary definition

SHRAPNEL, noun. Shell containing lead pellets that explodes in flight.

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats