Mills bomb

English

Etymology

Named after British inventor Sir William Mills.

Noun

Mills bomb (plural Mills bombs)

1. Any of a series of British fragmentation hand grenades. [from 20th c.]
   • 1929, Frederic Manning, The Middle Parts of Fortune, Vintage 2014, p. 10:

     They made a rush forward again, the dust and smoke clearing a little, and they heard the elastic twang of Mills bombs as they reached an empty trench, very narrow where shelling had not wrecked or levelled it.

   • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 118:

     He said when he pulled the pin out of the Mills bomb, he was always afraid it would go off before he got it out of his hand.

See also

• Mills bomb on Wikipedia.Wikipedia