noun
- Small, dart-like projectiles, typically made of metal, designed to be scattered from bombs or ammunition.
Usage: plural form; military/weapons terminology; often used in cluster munitions
Examples
- The cluster bomb dispersed thousands of flechettes over the target area.
- Flechettes were used in anti-personnel weapons during the Vietnam War.
- Modern military regulations restrict the use of flechettes in certain contexts.
- The flechettes embedded themselves in the ground after impact.
- Weapons designers developed flechettes to increase the effective range of dispersed munitions.