petrol bomb

American

noun

British.

Molotov cocktail.

petrol bomb British

noun

a home-made incendiary device, consisting of a bottle filled with petrol and stoppered with a wick, that is thrown by hand; Molotov cocktail

"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

verb

(tr) to attack with petrol bombs

"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

Other Word Forms

petrol bomber noun

Etymology

Origin of petrol bomb

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

As things escalated over the following hours, Nadia says Harkins threatened to "petrol bomb" her home, kill her and attack her dad.

From BBC

McClean, 36, grew up in Londonderry and has previously said he learned how to make petrol bombs at 11 years old because of the riots.

From BBC

In 2023 about 50 young people clashed with riot police, who were targeted with fireworks and petrol bombs.

From BBC

About 100 young people clashed with riot police in 2023, with fireworks and petrol bombs being thrown directly at officers in the Niddrie area of Edinburgh.

From BBC

He joined the ghetto uprising as a teenager in 1943, helping to make petrol bombs.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023