fireball
/ˈfaɪəɹˌbɔl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.18 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion, or (fiction, mythology) thrown as a weapon.
noun
Synonym of fastball (“a high-speed pitch of a baseball”).
noun
A bright glow caused by a spacecraft re-entering an atmosphere.
noun
A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.
Example Sentences
- "He placed his arms in a blocking position, but even so, the fireball threw all three of them, Kylie, Percival, and Kelly, onto the wall."
- "At 7:45 p.m. there was a sudden “whooshing” noise, and a mercilessly intense fireball exploded from under the escalator, ballooned up into the ticket hall and ignited all combustible material in the area. As a result of the flashover of the fireball, the temperature rose by several hundred degrees in a matter of seconds, and it was believed that it reached 600°C with zero visibility."
- "In a moment, he was caught by the blast. He threw up his arms to cover his head as the surge of energy created by the fireball threw him aside."
- "At the time of this photo, Royal Marine Gunner Bryan Gasson is pretty much dead centre in this photo, and yes, that means he is literally inside that socking great fireball as the magazines detonate."
- "As Elon Musk returns his focus to his businesses, one of his most important companies just had another setback: A SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in an immense fireball Wednesday during a routine ground test."
- "But ſure in a family it bodeth moſt bad, vvhen tvvo firebals (huſbands and vvives anger) come both together."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfaɪəɹˌbɔl/
- British English: /ˈfaɪəbɔːl/