1. Plural of grapeshot; clusters of small iron balls fired together from a cannon, used especially in naval and land warfare.
Usage: historical; military

Examples

• The ship's cannons fired grapeshots at the enemy vessel during the naval battle.
• Grapeshots were devastating against infantry formations in 18th-century warfare.
• The fort's defenders loaded grapeshots into their cannons to repel the advancing troops.
• Historical accounts describe how grapeshots could scatter across a wide area, causing heavy casualties.
• Artillery officers preferred grapeshots when engaging enemy soldiers at close range.