fireball
Americannoun
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fireballs
plural
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a ball of fire, as the sun; a shooting star.
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a luminous meteor, sometimes exploding.
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lightning having the appearance of a globe of fire; ball lightning.
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the highly luminous central portion of a nuclear explosion.
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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.
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Informal. an exceptionally energetic or ambitious person.
noun
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a ball-shaped discharge of lightning
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the bright spherical region of hot ionized gas at the centre of a nuclear explosion
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astronomy another name for bolide
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slang an energetic person
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fireball
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That means you’ll have a higher-than-usual chance of catching a glimpse of what scientists call a fireball — which is any meteor that appears brighter than Venus in the night sky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Images posted on social media showed a giant fireball near a busy road at the scene of the crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
According to an early investigation, the "RAF fireball jet was flying with its fuel cap off".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
As this nuclear fireball grows, it mixes with the surrounding atmosphere, cools, and eventually condenses into tiny solid particles that become nuclear fallout.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
Wart-face grinned, snorting the fireball up two elongated nostrils.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
However, the Taurids are known for occasionally producing impressive fireballs, exceptionally bright meteors that can make even a relatively quiet night of skywatching memorable.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
Southern Californian stargazers should get ready for a month packed with astronomical events, starting with fireballs and ending with a supermoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
A ban on "hulla parties" -- groups deployed to drive elephants away using "fireballs" and burning stakes -- is required, it said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Distinctive features of the Lyrids are their colours and brightness - along with exceptionally bright fireballs from time to time, outshining the planet Venus.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Taylor shrieks and dives, bike and all, into a pile of leaves to get out of the way as two more fireballs blaze across the dark.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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