firecracker

firecracker — noun

1. a small tube made of paper, filled with explosive powder, that produces a loud c

1.nounB1
Definition

a small tube made of paper, filled with explosive powder, that produces a loud cracking sound when its fuse is lit

Example

The children lit a firecracker on Lunar New Year and it made a sharp bang.

collocation: light a firecracker

A firecracker suddenly went off in the street, startling the pedestrians.

phrasal verb: go off (explode)

Common collocations
  • light a firecracker
  • set off a firecracker
  • a firecracker goes off
  • a string of firecrackers
  • a pack of firecrackers
Synonyms
  • firework

    the general category for all pyrotechnic devices; a firecracker is one type of firework

  • banger

    informal British term for a loud firecracker, common around Guy Fawkes Night

Usage Note

Commonly used with the verbs 'light' or 'set off' to describe the action of making it explode. In informal American English, 'firecracker' can also describe a lively or energetic person.

Common Mistakes

We shot firecrackers in the backyard.
We set off firecrackers in the backyard.
'Set off' and 'light' are the standard verbs for firecrackers; 'shoot' is used for guns or for large fireworks that launch into the sky.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A firecracker is a specific type of firework designed to produce a loud bang. 'Firework' is the broad category for any pyrotechnic device used in displays, including rockets that fly into the sky and sparklers that glow with bright coloured flames. 'Banger' is an informal British word for a firecracker, especially the small, cheap kind sold around Guy Fawkes Night. 'Sparkler' is a hand-held wire that burns slowly with bright sparks but makes no noise at all. 'Rocket' launches upwards and may explode with a bang or produce colourful light effects in the sky. So while a firecracker and a rocket both make noise, a firecracker stays on the ground and is much smaller.

firework ↗bangersparklerrocket ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Firecracker is a compound noun formed from 'fire' (from Old English fȳr) and 'cracker' (from Middle English craken, meaning 'to make a sharp sound'). The term was first recorded in English around the 16th century, originally describing a small paper tube packed with gunpowder that makes a cracking noise when set off.