Blank (cartridge) - Definition

A blank is a type of cartridge for a gun that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. Blanks are commonly used for safety reasons in military training maneuvers, in movies that require gun fights and in starter's pistols to signal the beginning of races.

However, it should be noted that given the speed of a blank cartridge they are by no means safe, as evidenced by the deaths of actors Brandon Lee and Jon-Erik Hexum, who were shot to death with blank guns while filming a movie and TV series, respectively. Lee was killed by an old bullet lodged in the gun, which was propelled by the firing of the blank; Hexum died when a wadding penetrated his skull. Also, they can cause damage to the eardrum.