grapeshot

  • 1Grapeshot — is a type of anti personnel ammunition used in cannons. Instead of solid shot, a mass of loosely packed metal slugs is loaded into a canvas bag. Grapeshot can also be improvised from chainlinks, shards of glass, rocks, etc. When assembled, the… …

    Wikipedia

  • 2Grapeshot — Grape shot , n. (Mil.) A cluster, usually nine in number, of small iron balls, put together by means of cast iron circular plates at top and bottom, with two rings, and a central connecting rod, in order to be used as a charge for a cannon.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3grapeshot — also grape shot, 1747, from GRAPE (Cf. grape) + SHOT (Cf. shot) (n.). So called for its appearance. The whiff of grapeshot popularized in English from 1837, from Carlyle s history of the French Revolution (in which it was a chapter title) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4grapeshot — ► NOUN historical ▪ ammunition consisting of a number of small iron balls fired together from a cannon …

    English terms dictionary

  • 5grapeshot — [grāp′shät΄] n. a cluster of small iron balls, formerly fired from a cannon …

    English World dictionary

  • 6grapeshot — /grayp shot /, n. a cluster of small cast iron balls formerly used as a charge for a cannon. [1740 50; GRAPE + SHOT1] * * * ▪ weaponry        cannon charge consisting of small round balls, usually of lead or iron, and used primarily as an… …

    Universalium

  • 7grapeshot — noun A cluster, usually nine in number, of small iron balls, put together by means of cast iron circular plates at top and bottom, with two rings, and a central connecting rod, in order to be used as a charge for a cannon. Formerly grapeshot were …

    Wiktionary

  • 8grapeshot — noun Date: 1745 an antipersonnel weapon consisting of a cluster of small iron balls shot from a cannon …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 9grapeshot — Synonyms and related words: ball, bar shot, bird shot, buckshot, bullet, cannon shot, cannonball, case shot, crossbar shot, duck shot, dumdum bullet, expanding bullet, grape, langrel shot, manstopping bullet, pellet, rifle ball, round shot, shell …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 10grapeshot — n. cluster of small iron balls formerly used as cannon shot …

    English contemporary dictionary