The Chinese word 手榴弹 (shǒuliúdàn), meaning "hand grenade", is a logical compound formed by combining 手 (shǒu, "hand"), indicating the method of throwing, with 榴弹 (liúdàn, literally "pomegranate shell" or "shrapnel shell"), a term historically used for explosive artillery shells that fragment like a pomegranate's seeds. Thus, the term literally and functionally means a "hand-thrown fragmentation shell", where 手 specifies its manual delivery and 榴弹 describes its explosive, fragmenting nature.