Grapeshot — 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
grapeshot — 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
grapeshot — ► NOUN historical ▪ ammunition consisting of a number of small iron balls fired together from a cannon … English terms dictionary
grapeshot — [grāp′shät΄] n. a cluster of small iron balls, formerly fired from a cannon … English World dictionary
grapeshot — /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
grapeshot — 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
grapeshot — noun Date: 1745 an antipersonnel weapon consisting of a cluster of small iron balls shot from a cannon … New Collegiate Dictionary
grapeshot — 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
grapeshot — n. cluster of small iron balls formerly used as cannon shot … English contemporary dictionary
grapeshot — noun historical ammunition consisting of a number of small iron balls fired together from a cannon … English new terms dictionary