fireball

[ fahyuhr-bawl ]

noun

1. a ball of fire, as the sun; a shooting star.
2. a luminous meteor, sometimes exploding.
3. lightning having the appearance of a globe of fire; ball lightning.
4. the highly luminous central portion of a nuclear explosion.
5. 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.
6. Informal. an exceptionally energetic or ambitious person.

fireball

/ ˈfaɪəˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a ball-shaped discharge of lightning
2. the bright spherical region of hot ionized gas at the centre of a nuclear explosion
3. astronomy another name for bolide
4. slang.
   an energetic person

Word History and Origins

Origin of fireball¹

First recorded in 1545–55; fire + ball ¹

Example Sentences

There were lots of fireball sightings in 2022.

From BBC

The comet will look like a bright fireball with a long, extended tail, said Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, KABC-TV reported.

From Los Angeles Times

As it crashed into Earth's atmosphere, it would have formed a fireball.

From BBC

“Imagine the asteroid was hitting Glasgow and you’re in Edinburgh, around 50 km away. The fireball would be about 24 times the size of the Sun in the sky - enough to set trees and plants on fire in Edinburgh,” Dr Nicholson says.

From BBC

“There was a loud explosion recorded by a number of individuals on campus and some individuals reported seeing a fireball,” Carvalho said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aggressive
• alive
• bold
• busy
• determined
• diligent
• dynamic
• eager
• energetic
• engaged
• enthusiastic
• forceful
• intense
• keen
• lively
• quick
• ready
• resolute