n.
Pronunciation: ' shrap-n ə l, esp Southern ' srap-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural shrapnel
Etymology: Henry Shrapnel † 1842 English artillery officer
Date: 1806
1 : a projectile that consists of a case provided with a powder charge and a large number of usually lead balls and that is exploded in flight
2 : bomb, mine, or shell fragments