pyrotechnics

[ pahy-ruh-tek-niks ]

noun

, (used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the art of making fireworks:

   My dad's friend studied pyrotechnics and made us firecrackers for our birthdays.

2. the use of fireworks for display, military purposes, etc.:

   That department is in charge of coordinating and monitoring pyrotechnics.

3. a display of fireworks:

   The breathtaking pyrotechnics were the highlight of the concert.

4. a brilliant or sensational display, such as of rhetoric or musicianship:

   His verbal pyrotechnics stunned audiences at the debate.

5. Military. ammunition containing chemicals for producing smoke or light, as for signaling, illuminating, or screening.

pyrotechnics

/ ˌpaɪrəʊˈtɛknɪks /

noun

1. functioning as singular the art or craft of making fireworks
2. functioning as singular or plural a firework display
3. functioning as singular or plural brilliance of display, as in the performance of music

   keyboard pyrotechnics

Derived Forms

• ˌpyroˈtechnic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyrotechnics¹

First recorded in 1710–20; pyrotechnic, -ics

Example Sentences

Thankfully, no one was injured in the blast, which—at the very least—makes for a spectacular display of pyrotechnics.

From The Daily Beast

But what Waters is doing in The Paying Guests is something more nuanced than mere plotting pyrotechnics.

From The Daily Beast

GoPro hooked up a camera to a drone and flew it into the pyrotechnics, offering a new way to marvel at the spectacle.

From The Daily Beast

It is judiciously salted with a toasty herbal twist—more about comfort than culinary pyrotechnics.

From The Daily Beast

Find a fisherman to take you out on the water at dusk to watch the natural pyrotechnics at their bellowing best.

From The Daily Beast

Then he deprived Fred of his rifle amid a surprisingly brilliant outburst of verbal pyrotechnics.

From Project Gutenberg

Amid the vocal pyrotechnics from the Holmes apartments, Harlan escaped into the library, but his poem was gone.

From Project Gutenberg

No more pyrotechnics; no further meetings on the floor; no more grips at close quarters.

From Project Gutenberg

To enable the night bomber to see his target the interesting piece of pyrotechnics known as the airplane flare was invented.

From Project Gutenberg

Another important use of pyrotechnics occurred in those enterprises known as night-bombing raids.

From Project Gutenberg