grenade

noun

gre·​nade grə-ˈnād How to pronounce grenade (audio)
: a small missile that contains an explosive or a chemical agent (such as tear gas, a flame producer, or a smoke producer) and that is thrown by hand or projected (as by a rifle or special launcher)

Examples of grenade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the drone monitors flickering near him, another grenade drops into a trench. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Special forces have targeted numerous terror targets in the area, seizing combat equipment including explosives, grenades and Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles. Forbes International, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 And on New Year’s Eve, the Larry Hernández concert in Tijuana was canceled after grenades were thrown outside the venue. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2024 Tyler tells the Times that Bellevue police are accustomed to calls about military weapons—like hand grenades or other artillery—because of the town’s proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a nearby military base. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Police in Ashland are trying to figure out how a World War II-era grenade ended up in a donation bin at a Goodwill in the area. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 More than 300 people died in prisons in 2021, some of whom were beheaded in horrific massacres that saw inmates armed with automatic weapons and even grenades. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 Read the Winning Stories Two Weeks at the Front in Ukraine In the trenches in the Donbas, infantrymen face unrelenting horrors, from missiles to grenades to helicopter fire. The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Other videos feature grenade launchers or military drills. David Ingram, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grenade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, literally, pomegranate, from Late Latin granata, from Latin, feminine of granatus seedy, from granum grain — more at corn

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grenade was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near grenade

Cite this Entry

“Grenade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grenade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grenade

noun
gre·​nade grə-ˈnād How to pronounce grenade (audio)
: a small bomb that is thrown by hand or launched (as by a rifle)
Etymology

from early French grenade, granade "pomegranate, grenade," from Latin granata "pomegranate," derived from Latin granatus "seedy," from granum "grain, seed" — related to garnet, grain, pomegranate see Word History at garnet

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