Small pellets of ammunition resembling hailstones, historically used in firearms; also called hailshot ammunition.
Compound word: hail (the precipitation or the resemblance) + shot (projectiles). The term describes ammunition that scattered like hail when fired from historical cannons and firearms.
Medieval cannons fired hailshot—dozens of small pellets that spread out like a deadly storm of ice, making them terrifyingly effective against groups of soldiers and cavalry charges.
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