Dictionary

Roman candle en · NOUN

Meanings

1. (qualifier:pyrotechnics) A traditional type of firework that ejects one or more stars or exploding shells.
   • [Karoline] Leavitt threw Roman candles, Catherine wheels and smoke bombs in the air in the hope of distracting reporters. But she was unable to quash the nagging suspicion that Donald Trump has something to hide. 2025 September 9, David Smith, “The president doth protest too much: Trump’s denial on Epstein is backfiring”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2. A parachute deployment failure in which the parachutist whirls downward at high speed.

Forms

Deriveds

Roman-candle

Translations (16)

it candela romana (a type of firework) · haw ihoihokī (a type of firework) · de römisches Licht (a type of firework) · lo ບັ້ງໄຟດອກ (a type of firework) · ota دخمه (a type of firework) · cs římská svíce (a type of firework) · de römische Kerze (a type of firework) · nl romeinse kaars (a type of firework) · fi roomalainen kynttilä (a type of firework) · sk rímska svieca (a type of firework) · sl rimska sveča (a type of firework) · sv romerskt ljus (a type of firework) · tr dahme (a type of firework) · ru римская свеча́ (a type of firework) · da romerlys (a type of firework) · de Römerkerze (a type of firework)

Roman candle en · VERB

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of Roman-candle.
   alt of Roman-candle
   • Canopies used to be made of silk and when they got wet they would not open, leaving the parachutist to “Roman candle” to a certain death. 2012, Nigel Cawthorne, The Mammoth Book of Inside the Elite Forces:
   • At first, Cyclops's chute began to Roman candle, but in another moment, it popped. 2007, J. Joseph Higgins, The Splat Conspiracy: America in Peril, page 145:
   • That was the theory, but as Corby continued, 'Unfortunately, in operation, this type of parachute tended to "Roman Candle" twist round and round, so that ultimately caused the parachute to collapse and allow the man to fall to the ground unsupported.' 2018, Mark Seaman, Undercover Agent:

Forms