Roman candle
3
4.2
- noun
- /ˈroʊmən ˈkændl/
:
candelas romanas
- During the Fourth of July celebration, we watched as the Roman candle shot vibrant colors into the night sky.
- light a Roman candle
The ones who never yawn or say commonplace thing but burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles, exploding like spiders across the stars.
- The ones who never yawn or say commonplace thing but burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles, exploding like spiders across the stars.
Examples
-
The car's pulled over and they're buying Roman candles, M-80's, and Black Cats from a kid wearing a baseball cap way back on his head.
Fiction book (1996) -
As they get back on the highway, Anthony lights a Roman candle and fires it from the window.
Fiction book (1996) -
These are Roman candles, brother.
-
Sooner or later, Roman candles shot into the air always fall back to earth.
Blog text (6) -
"Here," he said, taking a few steps forward, and he handed me a single Roman candle, the last one he had left.
Fiction book (1990) -
They're shooting Roman candles from the roof.
-
They're also warning residents not to use fireworks, sparklers, or Roman candles in backyards.
Blog text (32) -
He carefully set up a row of Roman candles for the birthday party display, excited to see the colorful bursts.
-
At the fireworks show, a large Roman candle launched a series of sparkling shells that amazed the crowd.
Synonyms
180
1.9
An object that makes bright lights and loud sounds in the sky when it bursts
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
Roman + candle
Although 'candle' evokes a light-producing object and 'Roman' suggests origin or style, the specific sense 'a firework that shoots out balls or sparks' is not derivable from those constituents. This is a conventional name for a particular kind of firework rather than a transparently composed meaning, so a B1 learner knowing the words would likely not predict the projectile/firework sense.
Etymology
Roman candle may come from old fireworks made in Rome that looked like a long candle and 'shot' small balls or bright sparks into the sky one after another. That's why today Roman candle means 'a firework that shoots out colored balls or sparks one after another'.