Dictionary

fireworks en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈfaɪ̯.ə.wɜːks/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈfaɪ̯.ɚ.wɝks/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From fire + work(s). The similarity with Dutch vuurwerk and German Feuerwerk, both “fireworks”, is hardly coincidental. Since the word was apparently first attested in English circa 1575, probably from the Dutch (1540), from the German (sense early 16th c.), from Middle High German viurwerc (14th c. as “fuel, firewood”). A spread from the south northwards is also in line with the fact that the first European fireworks were produced in Italy in the late 14th century.

Meanings

1. (form-of, plural) plural of firework.
   form of firework
2. (plural, plural-only) An event or a display where fireworks are set off.
   • 5000 Marrons in Battery, which continue firing to the End of the Fireworks. 1749, A Description of the Machine for the Fireworks, with All Its Ornaments, and a Detail of the Manner in which They are to be Exhibited in St. James's Park, Thursday, April 27, 1749, on Account of the General Peace, Signed at Aix La Chappelle, October 7, 1748. Published by Order of His Majesty's Board of Ordnance, London: Printed by W[illiam] Bowyer [for Gaetano Ruggieri and Gioseppe Sarti], sold by R[obert] Dodsley at Tully's Head in Pall Mall, and M. Cooper in Pater-Noster-Row, and the booksellers in London and Westminster, →OCLC, page 13:
   • By now, a great many people were walking towards the fireworks but their steps fell so softly and they chatted in such gentle voices there was no more noise than a warm, continual, murmurous humming, the cosy should of shared happiness, and the night filled with a muted, bourgeois yet authentic magic. Above our heads, the fireworks hung dissolving earrings on the night. Soon we lay down in a stubbled field to watch the fireworks. 1974, Angela Carter, “A Souvenir of Japan”, in Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces, London: Quartet Books, →ISBN:
   • [T]he fireworks were irretrievably connected with the establishment and political success, and tried to bridge the gap to public favour; just as Water Music helped keep the King's image sweet, so Fireworks Music celebrated the national benefit from the power this generated. […] [T]he fireworks were run as a successful commercial enterprise as well as a symbol of monarchical power. The prudent George [II of Great Britain] would surely have been pleased equally by both. 2005, Christopher Hogwood, “Politics and Power”, in Handel: Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks (Cambridge Music Handbooks), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 77:
3. (figuratively, plural, plural-only) A boisterous or violent event or situation.
   • I left the room after John came home drunk but before the fireworks went off.
   • Legal fireworks began yesterday in Benin at the pre-hearing of the petition by the People's Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in the September 28, 2016 election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, challenging the declaration of Mr. Godwin Obaseki of All Progressives Congress, APC, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as winner of the election. 2016 December 2, Simon Ebegbulem, Gabriel Enogholase, “Legal fireworks as Edo gov election tribunal begins hearing”, in Vanguard, Lagos, Nigeria, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2016:
   • Bedlam started slow, but fireworks started in the second quarter as Oklahoma State took a 17–10 lead to the break. 2016 December 3, Spenser Davis, “Oklahoma football: Sooners, Cowboys knotted at 17 in de facto Big 12 Championship game”, in The Oklahoma Daily, archived from the original on 26 Dec 2016:

Deriveds

fireworks display · get to the fireworks factory · fireworks night

Synonyms

pyrotechnics

Translations (101)

he זִיקּוּקֵי דִּי־נוּר (plural of firework) · th ดอกไม้เพลิง (event or display of fireworks) · fo fýrverk (plural of firework) · pl sztuczne ognie (plural of firework) · nl vuurwerk (plural of firework) · ar مُفَرْقِعَات (plural of firework) · es fuegos artificiales (event or display of fireworks) · mi pahū ahi (plural of firework) · lv uguņošana (plural of firework) · yi פֿײַערווערק (plural of firework) · sv fyrverkerier (plural of firework) · acw طراطيع (plural of firework) · az atəşfəşanlıq (event or display of fireworks) · it fuochi d'artificio (plural of firework) · ca focs artificials (plural of firework) · uk феєрве́рк (event or display of fireworks) · pt fogos de artifício (plural of firework) · cmn 煙火 /烟火 (event or display of fireworks) · hy հրավառություն (event or display of fireworks) · ga tine ealaíne (event or display of fireworks) · sq fishekzjarr (plural of firework) · eu su artifizial (event or display of fireworks) · acw طراطيع (event or display of fireworks) · ru фейерве́рки (plural of firework) · cy tân gwyllt (plural of firework) · sk ohňostroj (event or display of fireworks) · pl sztuczne ognie (event or display of fireworks) · lb Freedefeier (plural of firework) · sh vatromet (plural of firework) · be феерве́рк (event or display of fireworks) · sh vatromet (event or display of fireworks) · be фаервэ́рк (event or display of fireworks) · se dollaruson (plural of firework) · ja 花火 (plural of firework) · be феерве́ркі (plural of firework) · vi pháo bông (event or display of fireworks) · ar أَلْعَاب نَارِيَّة (plural of firework) · ja 花火 (event or display of fireworks) · fr feux d'artifice (event or display of fireworks) · sk ohňostroje (plural of firework) · it fuochi d'artificio (event or display of fireworks) · mk огномет (plural of firework) · be фаервэ́ркі (plural of firework) · cmn 花炮 (plural of firework) · dsb wognjoškrjakot (plural of firework) · fi ilotulitus (plural of firework) · hu tűzijáték (event or display of fireworks) · bg фойерверк (plural of firework) · hy սալյուտ (event or display of fireworks) · fr feux d'artifice (plural of firework) · gu ફટાકડા (plural of firework) · da fyrværkeri (plural of firework) · ru фейерве́рк (event or display of fireworks) · ko 불꽃놀이 (event or display of fireworks) · hu tűzijáték (plural of firework) · sl ognjemet (event or display of fireworks) · nv naaltsoos dildoní (plural of firework) · id kembang api (plural of firework) · cs ohňostroje (plural of firework) · eo artfajraĵo (plural of firework) · ar مُفَرْقِعَات (event or display of fireworks) · sh ватромет (plural of firework) · rm fieu artifizial (plural of firework) · de Feuerwerk (plural of firework) · mk огномет (event or display of fireworks) · fo eldverk (plural of firework) · vi pháo bông (plural of firework) · el πυροτεχνήματα (plural of firework) · cs ohňostroj (event or display of fireworks) · fi ilotulitus (event or display of fireworks) · cmn 煙火 /烟火 (plural of firework) · tr donanma fişekleri (plural of firework) · nb fyrverkerier (plural of firework) · ga tinte ealaíne (plural of firework) · lo ຕະໄລ (plural of firework) · th ดอกไม้ไฟ (event or display of fireworks) · de Feuerwerk (event or display of fireworks) · th ดอกไม้ไฟ (plural of firework) · ovd fyrwerkeri (plural of firework) · ar أَلْعَاب نَارِيَّة (event or display of fireworks) · pt fogo de artifício (event or display of fireworks) · yue 煙花 /烟花 (plural of firework) · ru фейерве́рк (plural of firework) · is flugeldar (plural of firework) · pl fajerwerki (plural of firework) · ro foc de artificii (plural of firework) · sh ватромет (event or display of fireworks) · eo fajraĵo (plural of firework) · vi pháo hoa (event or display of fireworks) · ms bunga api (plural of firework) · es fuegos artificiales (plural of firework) · kl qummoroortaatit (plural of firework) · mt logħob tan-nar (plural of firework) · ko 불꽃놀이 (plural of firework) · dsb wognjostroj (plural of firework) · tr havai fişek gösterisi (event or display of fireworks) · nv naaltsoos dilchxoshí (plural of firework) · vi pháo hoa (plural of firework) · lt fejerverkai (plural of firework) · hsb wohnjostroj (plural of firework) · bg фойерве́рк (event or display of fireworks)

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