- a ball of fire, as the sun; a shooting star.
- a luminous meteor, sometimes exploding.
- lightning having the appearance of a globe of fire; ball lightning.
- the highly luminous central portion of a nuclear explosion.
- a ball filled with explosive or combustible material, used as a projectile to injure the enemy by explosion or to set fire to their works.
- Informal. an exceptionally energetic or ambitious person.
Origin of fireball
- Sir Charles George Douglas,1860–1943, Canadian poet and novelist.
- Elizabeth Mad·ox [mad-uh ks] /ˈmæd əks/, 1886–1941, U.S. poet and novelist.
- Frederick Sleigh [sley] /sleɪ/, EarlBobs Bahadur, 1832–1914, British field marshal.
- GlennFireball, 1929–64, U.S. racing-car driver.
- Kenneth (Lewis),1885–1957, U.S. novelist and essayist.
- Oral,1918–2009, U.S. evangelist.
- Owen Jo·se·phus [joh-see-fuh s] /dʒoʊˈsi fəs/, 1875–1955, U.S. jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1930–45.
- Richard John,born 1943, U.S. molecular biologist, born in England: Nobel prize 1993.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for fireball
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey is manufactured by Sazerac, an alcoholic beverage company based in Metairie, La.
In 2011, Fireball had just $1.9 million in sales in the United States, reported Bloomberg Businessweek.
Fireball has exploded in popularity in the United States, prompting expansion in Europe.
Fireball insists that there are “no health risks” and that “all Fireball formulas are absolutely safe to drink.”
The European formula for Fireball has even less: under one gram per kilogram of propylene glycol.
Put him in irons until we are ready to transfer to the Fireball.Unwise Child
Gordon Randall Garrett
A fireball, which is an unusually lurid type of shooting star.Creatures of the Abyss
Eventually the fireball made its exit from the room through a keyhole!Thunder and Lightning
This probably refers to an unusually large “bolide” or “fireball.”Astronomical Curiosities
J. Ellard Gore
There's no concussion in vacuum, and the fireball won't reach here.Industrial Revolution
Poul William Anderson
- a ball-shaped discharge of lightning
- the bright spherical region of hot ionized gas at the centre of a nuclear explosion
- astronomy another name for bolide
- slang an energetic person
- Frederick Sleigh, 1st Earl. 1832–1914, British field marshal. He was awarded the Victoria Cross (1858) for his service during the Indian Mutiny and was commander in chief (1899–1900) in the second Boer War
- Julia. born 1967, US film actress; her films include Pretty Woman (1990), Notting Hill (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), which earned her an Academy Award, and Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for fireball
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper