mitraille

Mitraille is a French term that translates to "shrapnel" or "gravel" in English. It is commonly used in the context of artillery fire, referring to the fragments of a shell casing or projectile that are scattered upon detonation. These fragments are designed to cause damage by impacting targets over a wide area. The term can also be used more broadly to describe a dense spray or hail of small, hard objects, such as bullets fired from a machine gun or hailstones. In a culinary context, mitraille can refer to a mixture of small pieces of meat or fish, often prepared as a hash or ragout. The specific meaning of mitraille depends heavily on the context in which it is used, but generally implies a collection of small, sharp, or fragmented elements.