squib
From WikiWord, the free dictionary
/skwɪb/
English
Definitions
noun
- A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.“English Navy squibs set fire to two dozen enemy ships in a Dutch harbor during the 16th-century battle against the Spanish Armada.”
- A similar device used to ignite an explosive or launch a rocket, etc.
- A kind of slow match or safety fuse.
- Any small firecracker sold to the general public, usually in special clusters designed to explode in series after a single master fuse is lit.
verb
- To make a sound like a small explosion.
- To throw squibs; to utter sarcastic or severe reflections; to contend in petty dispute.“to squib a little debate”
Related words
Synonyms
sparklersparkletfirecrackerbombletsparkewhizz-bangsquirtsmartletflashpotspunksponksprigletvery lightspireletspanglespire