star shell

American  

noun

1. a shell that bursts in the air and produces a bright light to illuminate enemy positions.

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star shell British  

noun

1. an artillery shell containing a flare or other illuminant: often containing a parachute to prolong the descent of the illuminating material

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Etymology

Origin of star shell

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The screenwriter Anthony McCarten seems to find that the woman underneath the pop star shell was still struggling to define herself at the time of her death at the age of 48.

From New York Times

At night the scene was illuminated by star shells.

From Washington Post

The glory lights up the world and changes it the way a star shell changes a battleground.

From Literature

The Germans did not seem to know what was going on, but they wanted to know, and they sent up a number of star shells.

From Project Gutenberg

But the newspaper also reported that the pyrotechnics left something to be desired: Rather than the "star shell" of a century and  a half ago, the explosion seemed more like a "bottle rocket."

From Salon