fireball

[fahyuhr-bawl]

noun

1. a ball of fire, as the sun; a shooting star.

2. a luminous meteor, sometimes exploding.

3. lightning having the appearance of a globe of fire; ball lightning.

4. the highly luminous central portion of a nuclear explosion.

5. a ball filled with explosive or combustible material, used as a projectile to injure the enemy by explosion or to set fire to their works.

6. Informal.,  an exceptionally energetic or ambitious person.

fireball

/ ˈfaɪəˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a ball-shaped discharge of lightning

2. the bright spherical region of hot ionized gas at the centre of a nuclear explosion

3. astronomy another name for bolide

4. slang,  an energetic person

Word History and Origins

Origin of fireball¹

First recorded in 1545–55; fire + ball ¹

Example Sentences

In a corner of London's Canary Wharf, better known for finance than fireballs, The Hunger Games: On Stage has bought Panem to life in a purpose-built 1,200 seat arena.

Read more on BBC

Frantic, he helped his parents hoist his six younger siblings over a backyard fence as fireballs of ignited crude descended around their home, just across the street.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He watched a huge yellow fireball rise and grow, turning orange, then red, kicking up towering swirls of dust, boiling itself into the shape of a giant mushroom.

Read more on Literature

It is unclear what caused the plane to crash, prompting a massive fireball to erupt after it failed to take-off from the runway.

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Those June meteors are rarely visible unless they produce exceptionally bright fireballs.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• aggressive 
• alive 
• bold 
• busy 
• determined 
• diligent 
• dynamic 
• eager 
• energetic 
• engaged 
• enthusiastic 
• forceful 
• intense 
• keen 
• lively 
• quick 
• ready 
• resolute