Dictionary

Molotov cocktail en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈmɒ.ləˌtɒf ˈkɒk.teɪl/ (UK)
• /ˈmɔ.ləˌtɔv ˈkɑk.teɪl/ (General-American)

Etymology

Calque of Finnish Molotovin koktaili. Coined in Finland during the Winter War of 1939–40 between Finland and the Soviet Union, and named after then-Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986), who claimed the bombs the Soviet Union dropped on Finland were airborne humanitarian food deliveries prompting Finns to say their firebombs were Molotov cocktails (drinks to go with his food deliveries).

Meanings

1. A crude incendiary bomb made from a glass bottle, either filled with a flammable liquid such as petroleum and supplied with a rag for a fuse that is lit just before being hurled, or filled with such a mix of flammable liquids that it ignites itself when it is smashed and its contents are exposed to air.
   • The site, which appears in the wake of anti-Elon Musk protests across the country, displays names, addresses, and phone numbers of Tesla owners on an interactive map and uses an image of a Molotov cocktail as its cursor. […] In one incident in Las Vegas, an individual dressed in black used Molotov cocktails to ignite five Tesla vehicles at a service center. 2025 March 19, Dan Cody, “What Is Dogequest? Website Exposes Tesla Owners' Personal Data”, in Newsweek:

Forms

Relateds

Molotov breadbasket

Synonyms

mollie (bomb) · Molotov · Bandera smoothie (bomb) · petrol bomb (bomb) · molotov

Translations (52)

he בַּקְבּוּק תַּבְעֵרָה (simple incendiary bomb) · es bomba molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · sk Molotovov koktail (simple incendiary bomb) · lt padegamàsis bùtelis (simple incendiary bomb) · ka მოლოტოვის კოქტეილი (simple incendiary bomb) · ar زُجاجَة حَارِقَة (simple incendiary bomb) · ca còctel Molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · de Brandflasche (simple incendiary bomb) · sl koktajl Molotova (simple incendiary bomb) · ko 화염병 (simple incendiary bomb) · hu Molotov-koktél (simple incendiary bomb) · el κοκτέιλ μολότοφ (simple incendiary bomb) · be кактэ́йль Мо́латава (simple incendiary bomb) · da molotovcocktail (simple incendiary bomb) · el κοκτέιλ μολότωφ (simple incendiary bomb) · hy Մոլոտովի կոկտեյլ (simple incendiary bomb) · fi polttopullo (simple incendiary bomb) · sv molotovcocktail (simple incendiary bomb) · af molotofbom (simple incendiary bomb) · vi chai cháy (simple incendiary bomb) · az Molotov kokteyli (simple incendiary bomb) · yue 汽油彈 /汽油弹 (simple incendiary bomb) · yi צינדפֿלאַש (simple incendiary bomb) · fi Molotovin cocktail (simple incendiary bomb) · et Molotovi kokteil (simple incendiary bomb) · ja 火炎瓶 (simple incendiary bomb) · af petrolbom (simple incendiary bomb) · ru кокте́йль Мо́лотова (simple incendiary bomb) · pl koktajl Mołotowa (simple incendiary bomb) · sh Molotovljev koktel (simple incendiary bomb) · fr cocktail Molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · es cóctel molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · yi צינדפֿלעשל (simple incendiary bomb) · fi Molotovin koktaili (simple incendiary bomb) · uk кокте́йль Мо́лотова (simple incendiary bomb) · bg кокте́йл Мо́лотов (simple incendiary bomb) · mn Молотовын коктейль (simple incendiary bomb) · tr Molotof kokteyli (simple incendiary bomb) · it bomba Molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · ar كُوكْتَيْل مُولُوتُوف (simple incendiary bomb) · cs Molotovův koktejl (simple incendiary bomb) · kn ಮೊಲೊಟೊವ್ (simple incendiary bomb) · el βόμβα μολότοφ (simple incendiary bomb) · fa کوکتل مولوتف (simple incendiary bomb) · cmn 燃燒瓶 /燃烧瓶 (simple incendiary bomb) · eo brulbotelo (simple incendiary bomb) · de Molotowcocktail (simple incendiary bomb) · ja 火炎びん (simple incendiary bomb) · lv degpudele (simple incendiary bomb) · nl molotovcocktail (simple incendiary bomb) · pt coquetel Molotov (simple incendiary bomb) · lt Mòlotovo koktei̇̃lis (simple incendiary bomb)