firebomb

American  

[fahyuhr-bom] / ˈfaɪərˌbɒm /

noun

1. an explosive device with incendiary effects.

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verb (used with object)

1. to attack with a firebomb or firebombs.

firebomb British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌbɒm /

noun

1. another name for incendiary

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verb

1. (tr) to attack with incendiary bombs

Other Word Forms

• firebomber noun

Etymology

Origin of firebomb

First recorded in 1895–1900; fire + bomb

Example Sentences

Theirs was a generation that had come through the war and been obliged to learn a new way of living: In these stories you will find references to ration books, refugees and firebombs.

From The Wall Street Journal

And for a potentially powder keg Cannes there’s also the firebomb of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

From Seattle Times

Another Oscar-nominee, Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” is likewise set around World War II. The best animated feature nominee opens with the firebombing of Tokyo and the death of a boy’s mother.

From Seattle Times

She wore special padding and a steel helmet while walking to the film studio, as protection from the firebombing air raids.

From Seattle Times

Delia, the wife of an Irish diplomat, infuses her account with dry wit: “I was singing in Belfast the night the Luftwaffe firebombed the theatre,” she explains.

From Washington Post