Editing Shell (projectile) (section)

{{Short description|Payload-carrying projectile}}
{{About|the artillery projectile|the small arms cartridge|shotgun shell}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[File:WWI shells.JPG|thumb|upright=1.35|Some sectioned shells from the [[First World War]]. From left to right: 90 mm [[shrapnel shell]], 120 mm pig iron incendiary shell, 77/14 model – 75 mm high-explosive shell, model 16–75 mm shrapnel shell.]]
[[File:W48 155-millimeter nuclear shell.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|US scientists with a full-scale cut-away model of the [[W48]] 155 millimeter [[nuclear artillery]] shell, a very small [[tactical nuclear weapon]] with an explosive yield equivalent to 72 tons of [[trinitrotoluene|TNT]] (0.072 [[kiloton]]). It could be fired from any standard 155 mm (6.1 inch) [[howitzer]] (e.g., the [[M114 155 mm howitzer|M114]] or [[M198 howitzer|M198]]).]]
[[File:USMC-100414-M-5241M-001.jpg|thumb|right|155mm [[M107 projectile]]s, with [[fuze]]s fitted.]]

A '''shell''', in a modern [[military]] context, is a [[projectile]] whose payload contains an [[explosive]], [[incendiary device|incendiary]], or other [[chemical]] filling.  Originally it was called a '''bombshell''', but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military context. A shell can hold a [[tracer ammunition|tracer]].

All explosive- and incendiary-filled projectiles, particularly for [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]]s, were originally called ''grenades'', derived from the [[French language|French]] word for [[pomegranate]], so called because of the similarity of shape and that the multi-seeded fruit resembles the powder-filled, fragmentizing bomb. Words cognate with ''grenade'' are still used for an [[artillery]] or mortar projectile in some European languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=grenade&searchmode=none |title=Etymology of grenade |publisher=Etymonline.com |date=1972-01-08 |access-date=2013-02-27}}</ref>

Shells are usually large-caliber projectiles fired by artillery, [[armored fighting vehicle|armoured fighting vehicle]]s (e.g. [[tank]]s, [[assault gun]]s, and [[mortar carrier]]s), [[warship]]s, and [[autocannon]]s.  The shape is usually a [[cylinder (geometry)|cylinder]] topped by an [[ogive]]-tipped [[nose cone]] for good [[aerodynamic]] [[external ballistics|performance]], and possibly with a tapered [[External ballistics#General trends in drag or ballistic coefficient|boat tail]]; but some specialized types differ widely.