What does grapeshot mean?
Definitions for grapeshot
ˈgreɪpˌʃɒtgrapeshot
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word grapeshot.
Princeton's WordNet
grapeshot, grapenoun
a cluster of small projectiles fired together from a cannon to produce a hail of shot
Wiktionary
grapeshotnoun
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 inclosed in canvas bags.
Wikipedia
Grapeshot
Grapeshot is a type of artillery round. It was used mainly as an anti infantry round, but had other uses in naval combat. In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of a collection of smaller-caliber round shots, which in most cases are about the size of a golf ball, packed tightly in a canvas bag and separated from the gunpowder charge by a metal wadding, rather than being a single solid projectile. Grapeshot also comes packaged in clusters of three by iron rings, and in three tiers, with the shot being held in by cast iron rings. When assembled, the shot resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name. Grapeshot was used both on land and at sea. On firing, the canvas wrapping disintegrates and the contained balls scatter out from the muzzle, giving a ballistic effect similar to a giant shotgun.Grapeshot was devastatingly effective against massed infantry at short range and was also used at medium range. Solid shot was used at longer range and canister at shorter. When used in naval warfare, grapeshot served a dual purpose. First, it continued its role as an anti-personnel projectile. However, the effect was diminished due to a large portion of the crew being below decks and the addition of hammock netting in iron brackets intended to slow or stop smaller shot. Second, the shot was cast large enough to cut rigging, destroy spars and blocks, and puncture multiple sails.Canister shot, also known as case shot, fired a larger number of smaller projectiles loosely packaged in a tin or brass container, possibly guided by a wooden sabot. The later shrapnel shell contained similarly smaller projectiles, and used a timed bursting charge to expel those projectiles from the front of the container. So, unlike grapeshot, canister shot is more precise and could be more deadly, as grapeshot wasn't guided, nor did it have a timed bursting charge. Langrage is a type of improvised round that uses chain links, nails, shards of glass, rocks or other similar objects as the projectiles. Although langrage can be cheaply made, its ballistics are inferior to grapeshot's.Even though grapeshot, canister shot, and langrage are three different types of shot, the idea behind them remains the same; anti-infantry. That is because at the time in history grapeshot was around, which was during the Napoleonic Wars, line infantry was heavily used. With grapeshot, a handful of soldiers manning the artillery could kill dozens of infantry with one round of grapeshot.
ChatGPT
grapeshot
Grapeshot is a type of ammunition used in cannons and artillery, consisting of small iron balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. When fired, the bag disintegrates, and the balls spread out causing severe damage over a broad area. It was commonly used in naval warfare during the age of sail. The term "grapeshot" derives from the fact that the clustered ammunition resembles a bunch of grapes.
Webster Dictionary
Grapeshotnoun
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 inclosed in canvas bags
Wikidata
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name. On firing, the balls spread out from the muzzle, giving an effect similar to a giant shotgun. Grapeshot was devastatingly effective against massed infantry at short range. It was used to savage massed infantry charges quickly. Cannons would fire solid shot to attack enemy artillery and troops at longer range and switch to grape when they or nearby troops were charged. Canister shot, also known as case shot, was packaged in a tin or brass container, possibly guided by a wooden sabot. Canister balls did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship, so were smaller and more numerous. The later shrapnel shell was similar, but with a much greater range. Scattershot is an improvised form of grapeshot which uses chain links, nails, shards of glass, rocks or other similar objects as the projectiles. Although scattershot can be cheaply made, it is less effective than grapeshot due to the lack of uniformity in the projectiles' mass, shape, material, and resultant ballistics.
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
grapeshot
A missile from guns intermediate between case-shot and solid shot, having much of the destructive spread of the former with somewhat of the range and penetrative force of the latter. A round of grapeshot consists of three tiers of cast-iron balls arranged, generally three in a tier, between four parallel iron discs connected together by a central wrought-iron pin. For carronades, the grape, not being liable to such a violent dispersive shock, they are simply packed in canisters with wooden bottoms.
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
grapeshot
See Grape-Shot.
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of grapeshot in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of grapeshot in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Examples of grapeshot in a Sentence
The munition with knives has been around since at least the Vietnam War.The military term for the warhead is flechettes, which are dart-like submunitions that are released and spread out in flight as an anti-personnel device, munitions have had a variety of warheads since before the Civil War, where they used everything from classic exploding cannonballs, todumbbell-shaped projectiles and grapeshot, which was basically shotgun-shell BBs (only much larger) that used mass and velocity as the engagement mechanism.
References
Translations for grapeshot
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- kartáčCzech
- metrallaSpanish
- kartácsHungarian
- картечьRussian
- kartečSerbo-Croatian
Get even more translations for grapeshot »
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"grapeshot." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/grapeshot>.
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