blank shell
- noun
- /blæŋk ʃɛl/
- Specialized
:
cartucho de fogueo
- For safety reasons, the actors used only blank shells during the filming of the action scenes.
Examples
-
Soldiers practiced loading and firing rifles with blank shells to simulate real combat.
-
They fired a blank shell to signal the start of the event.
-
The sound of blank shells can still be loud and potentially dangerous at close range.
-
The soldier used a blank shell during the training exercise.
-
The actors fired blank shells during rehearsal to mimic the sound of gunfire without using real bullets.
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In training, the soldiers used blank shells to practice their shooting skills safely.
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For the stage play, the director insisted on using blank shells to create realistic gunfire effects.
Synonyms
43
7.2
A cartridge for a gun that makes a gunshot sound without a bullet
24
4.7
A metal or plastic case that holds a bullet and powder for a gun
15
7.9
A practice bullet case with powder but no bullet used for training guns
Antonyms
How Dangerous
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'blank' (indicating no projectile / sound-only cartridge) modifies 'shell' (a cartridge/projectile), so the combined meaning 'a cartridge without a bullet used for sound or training' follows directly from the parts. The relation is compositional and follows common cross-linguistic adjective+noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Blank shell comes from the simple image of a shell, the metal case used in a gun, that is blank and has powder to make a loud bang but 'no bullet', so it makes the sound and flash without firing a bullet. That's why actors and soldiers use blank shells for practice or for signals.