Molotov cocktail

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See synonyms for Molotov cocktail on Thesaurus.com

noun

a crude incendiary grenade consisting of a bottle filled with a flammable liquid and a wick that is ignited before throwing: used originally for setting fire to enemy tanks during the Spanish Civil War.

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Origin of Molotov cocktail

First recorded in 1935–40; named after V. M. Molotov

Words nearby Molotov cocktail

Molokai, Molokan, Molopo, Molossian, Molotov, Molotov cocktail, molt, molten, Moltke, molto, Moluccas

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Molotov cocktail in a sentence

Medication can now be taken in a single pill rather than a complex cocktail of tablets.
The New Face of HIV Is Gay & Young|Adebisi Alimi|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lucky recipient gets to choose from a selection of gifts ranging from cocktail kits to packages of wine and premium spirits.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the dapper gent whose favorite accessory is a strong cocktail.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Old-Fashioned is the crème of the cocktail crop—according to Don Draper, at least.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Chicken satay and shrimp cocktail are also good options, as you can watch the skewers and tails stack up.
12 Thanksgiving Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work|DailyBurn|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Miss Mayblunt begged to be allowed to keep her cocktail untouched before her, just to look at.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
He got out of the chair and pointed at her, and a few glasses on a cocktail tray tipped over.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
In a few minutes he led Peter away to one of the bars where they usually took their cocktail.
The Double Four|E. Phillips Oppenheim
The barkeeper was nonplussed, and asked what a tin-roof cocktail was.
As A Chinaman Saw Us|Anonymous
The hour was early; we had the place to ourselves as we pledged each other in the quaint device they call a cocktail at the Pavao.
Where the Pavement Ends|John Russell

British Dictionary definitions for Molotov cocktail

Molotov cocktail

/ (ˈmɒləˌtɒf) /

noun

an elementary incendiary weapon, usually a bottle of petrol with a short-delay fuse or wick; petrol bomb

Word Origin for Molotov cocktail

C20: named after V. M. Molotov

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Molotov cocktail

Molotov cocktail

[ (mol-uh-tawf, mol-uh-tawv) ]

An incendiary bomb made from a breakable container, such as a bottle, filled with flammable liquid and provided with a rag wick. Used by the Soviets against the invading German armies in World War II, these bombs were nicknamed after V. M. Molotov, a foreign minister of the Soviet Union at that time.