Roman candle

American  

noun

1. a firework consisting of a tube that sends out a shower of sparks and a succession of balls of fire.

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Roman candle British  

noun

1. a firework that produces a continuous shower of sparks punctuated by coloured balls of fire

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Etymology

Origin of Roman candle

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Roman candle

An aerial Roman candle has 20 grams, reloadable aerial shells, shot from a tube, have 60 grams.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 4, 2021

It was with his Roman candle of a play, The Normal Heart, that his two lives most directly intersected.

From The Guardian ● May 27, 2020

Like a trail of sparks that leads to a Roman candle eruption, though, “Lorelei” soon fires high and wide.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2018

They grimace each time they see a wooden fence in the neighborhood, thinking of it as a Roman candle that could shoot flames onto a nearby home.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2017

When she’s around, Coop lights up like the fireballs that shoot out of a Roman candle.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone