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 • Dec. 22, 2022

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 • May 8, 2011

This hoary plot blossoms like a star shell after the beauteous pair escape to Hong Kong with their love and the Star of Asia.

From Time Magazine Archive

Cautiously I raised myself just as a star shell burst overhead, and saw him coming toward me through that blasted wasteland.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck