grenade
pronunciation
How to pronounce grenade in British English:
UK [grəˈneɪd]
How to pronounce grenade in American English:
US [ɡrəˈned]
-
- Noun:
- a small explosive bomb thrown by hand or fired from a missile
Word Origin
- grenade
- grenade: [16] The original grenades were small spherical explosive-filled cases with a wick on top. In shape, they bore more than a passing resemblance to pomegranates. The Old French term for ‘pomegranate’ was pome grenate, or just grenate for short, and it was this abbreviated form, altered to grenade under the influence of the related Spanish granada, that was applied to the explosive device. Grenadier [17] came from the French derivative grenadier ‘grenadethrower’.=> grain, grenadier, pomegranate
- grenade (n.)
- "small explosive shell," thrown rather than discharged from a cannon, 1590s, earlier "pomegranate" (1520s), from Middle French grenade "pomegranate" (16c.), earlier grenate (12c.), from Old French pomegrenate (see pomegranate). Form influenced by Spanish granada. So called because the many-seeded fruit suggested the powder-filled, fragmenting bomb, or from similarities of shape. See pomegranate. Much used late 17c., they went out of use 18c. but were revived 20c.
Example
- 1. Soldiers safely detonated the grenade after everyone was clear .
- 2. The xm-25 grenade launcher is equipped with a laser rangefinder and on-board computer .
- 3. It took several anxious days , and a lethal grenade attack , for thailand 's warring sides to reach a tentative peace deal .
- 4. All five-second grenade fuses will burn down in three seconds .
- 5. They pretended that the rock was a grenade .