noun
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a type of firework that throws out showers of sparks
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informal a sparkling gem
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sparkler
Explanation
A sparkler is a firework that glows and sparks as you hold in you hand. A sparkler burns very slowly, giving you time to wave it around and make patterns in the dark before its flame goes out. Most sparklers are thin pieces of flexible metal that are partly coated with chemicals that burn and sparkle. Though sparklers are often thought of as a fireworks for kids, they burn at a very high temperature and can cause serious burns if they're not used carefully. Sparklers are particularly beautiful when they're lit outside in the dark. While the sparkler's invention is a bit of a mystery, the word sparkler came into use around 1879, from the verb sparkle.
Vocabulary lists containing sparkler
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:
A brilliant field of red, white, and blue stars sparkles across a new image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, resembling a sparkler glowing against the night sky.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
Or can we light a sparkler and genuinely enjoy a rare moment of earned self-congratulation this weekend?
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2026
Mobile phone footage shows a sparkler tied to a champagne bottle apparently starting the fire as it brushes the ceiling.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
For a mere $20 it was a no-brainer to bring to a casual dinner with friends, where this pleasingly easy-drinking sparkler proved to be a big hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
The dark buildings below were filled with phantom flickers of light, echoes of the sparkler burned into her eyes.
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
As win percentages flashed up on screen, and sparklers lit up the dark backdrop as athletes posed with their trophies, athletics attempted to take its first steps in a brand new direction.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
About 13,000 people were injured by fireworks last year and an estimated 1,300 emergency room treated injuries involved sparklers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Befitting the name, the drink arrives in a frozen pineapple crowned with sparklers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
Prosecutors believe the fire started when revellers raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached close to sound insulation foam on the ceiling of the bar's basement level.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
Ma held out a packet of sparklers and we each took one.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
