shrapnel
UK[ˈʃræpnəl]US[ˈʃræpnəl]
n
Small pieces of metal from a bomb, shell, or other weapon that are scattered when it explodes.
n
Fragments or debris of any kind scattered by an explosion or violent impact.
Etymology
The term 'shrapnel' originates entirely from the surname of Henry Shrapnel, who in the late 18th century invented an anti-personnel artillery shell that scattered bullets and fragments upon explosion. His name became synonymous with the weapon's lethal payload, a process known as antonomasia. By the early 20th century, especially during World War I, the meaning generalized to refer to any damaging fragments from an explosive device, regardless of its specific design. Thus, a proper noun evolved into a common noun describing a ubiquitous and deadly feature of modern warfare.
Analysis
The word is an eponym, derived from the surname of its inventor, British artillery officer Henry Shrapnel (1761–1842). It functions as a single, unsegmentable lexical unit.
Examples
The soldier was wounded by shrapnel from a roadside bomb.
Doctors worked to remove the shrapnel embedded in the vehicle's door.
The explosion sent shrapnel flying hundreds of meters.