fireball

noun

fire·ball | \ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌbȯl

\

Definition of fireball

1 : a ball of fire also : something resembling such a ball the primordial fireball associated with the beginning of the universe — Scientific American

2 : a brilliant meteor that may trail bright sparks

3 : the highly luminous cloud of vapor and dust created by a nuclear explosion

4 : a highly energetic person

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Examples of fireball in a Sentence

The house erupted into a fireball. what this club needs is a fireball who will bring some sorely needed energy and enthusiasm

Recent Examples on the Web

As recently as January, the NTSB called on federal aviation regulators to improve how some engine parts are tested during manufacture because of a 2016 engine failure that resulted in a massive fireball in Chicago. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, "Metal weakness like the fatigue in Southwest plane's engine can lie hidden for years," 19 Apr. 2018 The fireball that arrived at roughly 8:15 p.m. is estimated to have been a meteor about 2 yards in diameter. — Robert Allen, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan meteor: What to do if you find a piece," 17 Jan. 2018 The fireball and sonic boom created when the golf-cart-sized meteor slammed into the earth’s atmosphere the evening of March 7 were widely seen and heard along the Washington coast. — Sandi Doughton, The Seattle Times, "Meteorite search off the Washington coast recovers two small fragments," 3 July 2018 Residents of Ocracoke Island heard loud explosions at night, saw orange fireballs and smoke from burning ships and found dead sailors on their beaches. — Bruce Henderson, charlotteobserver, "He terrorized the N.C. coast in World War II. The last U-boat captain has died at 105.," 19 June 2018 This is a very busy roadway.’’ The crash caused a big fireball and scattered debris over a large area, Bilbo said. — Russ Bynum, BostonGlobe.com, "Military cargo plane crashes in Georgia, killing 5," 2 May 2018 Other area residents in Albia and Eddyville also reported spotting the fireball. — Matt Milner, chicagotribune.com, "Meteor spotted streaking across much of Midwest Sunday night," 9 July 2018 Nearly all the injuries were caused by burns, the result of being hit by spewing fireballs. — Morning Brief, The Seattle Times, "Your Fourth of July guide | Wednesday Morning Brief, July 4," 4 July 2018 Image Ed Sadlowski, a fireball labor leader whose militant insurgency in the 1970s shook but failed to dislodge the steelworkers union’s top brass, died on Sunday in Estero, Fla. — Sam Roberts, New York Times, "Ed Sadlowski, Fiery Steelworkers Insurgent, Dies at 79," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fireball.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for fireball

The first known use of fireball was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for fireball

fireball

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fireball

: a huge mass of fire

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