n. Fragments or splintered pieces; numerous tiny disconnected items.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun-plural. Fragments; atoms; smithers.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Small fragments.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a collection of small fragments considered as a whole
Word Usage
"Blow ... to smithereens is too slangy for formal use; it is used in a quote further on in the Times article, and is the kind of vernacular phrase found in boys adventure comics."