pyrotechnics
plural noun
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The use of military fireworks in elaborate celebrations of war and peace is an ancient Chinese custom, but our term for the making and launching of fireworks is a product of the 17th and 18th centuries. Pyrotechnics and the earlier adjective pyrotechnic derive via French from the Greek nouns pyr ("fire") and techne ("art"). In pyr one can see such fiery relatives as pyromania, the term for an irresistible impulse to start fires, as well as pyrite, the mineral also known as fool's gold. (That word also has an obsolete meaning, in the form pyrites, referring to a stone used for striking fire.) Like fireworks, pyrotechnics also has an extended figurative usage, referring to any kind of dazzling display or performance.
Examples of pyrotechnics in a Sentence
Roger Sands, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
After two years where Covid restrictions put a damper on its NYE celebrations, the city’s V&A Waterfront will light up on December 31 with pyrotechnics and partying.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 31 Dec. 2022
The stage sets are reported to be spectacular with pyrotechnics, glitter cannons, and ebullient ensemble dances.
—oregonlive, 28 Dec. 2022
There will be the Netspend Ferris Wheel and the ultimate Big Game giveaway as well as games, rides, a custom megastructure adjacent to Talking Stick Resort with pyrotechnics and graphics.
—Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for pyrotechnics
Cite this Entry
“Pyrotechnics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyrotechnics. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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