Fireballs

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪəˌbɔːlz/

Definitions

1. A large and often explosive ball of fire produced during certain events, typically associated with magic or fantasy
2. A fiery projectile, usually described in supernatural contexts, that causes destruction upon impact
3. A visual phenomenon resembling a ball of fire in atmospheric events or fireworks, often evoking excitement or fear

Etymology: The plural "fireballs" simply pluralizes "fireball," a compound of "fire" and "ball." Both parts are plain Old English inheritances: "fire" and "ball" have been in the language for centuries, so the compound itself is transparent, with no borrowing or foreign root involved. The sense of a bright, round mass of flame moving through the air grew naturally from the two components, and the word has since been applied to a range of things, from military and scientific phenomena to a sailing dinghy and a heraldic device. Its most striking modern use is for a nuclear detonation's glowing mass of hot gas. Nuclear weapon tests in Nevada, such as Operation Upshot–Knothole in April 1953, produced fireballs of this kind. The Chelyabinsk meteor of February 2013 is also described as a fireball, a term for an exceptionally bright meteor that burns across the sky.

Synonyms: blazes, flames