Definition of FIREWORKS

fireworks

Noun

  • (usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.
  • plural of firework.
  • An event or a display where fireworks are set off.
  • A boisterous or violent event or situation.

Examples

  • I left the room after John came home drunk but before the fireworks went off.

Origin / 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.

Scrabble Score: 19

fireworks: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
fireworks: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
fireworks: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

fireworks: valid Words With Friends Word