1.
shell; cannonball; artillery round
A projectile fired from a cannon or artillery piece. Also used more broadly for any large-caliber ammunition.
Composed of 砲 (cannon, artillery) + 弾 (bullet, projectile). Common collocations: 砲弾が着弾する (a shell lands/hits), 砲弾を撃ち込む (to fire shells into), 砲弾の雨 (a rain of shells). In Japan, 不発弾 (unexploded ordnance) from World War II are still occasionally found during construction, especially in Okinawa. The counter for shells is 発: 一発の砲弾 (one shell).