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FIREWORKS GLOSSARY... PAGE 3

Palm Trees		Contains large comets, or charges in the shape of a solid cylinder, that travel outward, explode and then curve downward like the limbs of a palm tree. Willows that leave a brightly-colored trail from the ground.
Peanut Shells		Usually double break shells.
Piped match		Raw match enclosed in, usually, a paper tube used for transferring fire from one firework to another. Piped match also forms the leader of a shell.
Pistil/Peonies		Like a chrysanthemum shell, but has a central core that is a different color or complementary from the outer stars, with bright center. Typical Japanese shell.
Plug		Typically the closure of a mortar tube, but more generally the closure of any tube (e.g. a Roman candle tube)
Poka shell		A weak bursting shell of Japanese design commonly used for deploying parachutes or tissue-paper flags.
Portfire		Usually a thin-walled tube filled with slow burning composition used to ignite other fireworks. It is similar to a fusee, but its flame is usually less fierce and usually burns white. A test for a good portfire is that it should continue to burn after being dropped vertically onto its lit end at arm's length!
Post		A geographical position on a firing site used to identify the layout of the site. For instance, there may be 3 posts of Roman candles spread along the front of a site.
Press		A machine used to fill composition into tubes (e.g. gerb press), or for making fireworks (e.g. Roman candle press).
Priming		A process carried out to ensure ignition of a pyrotechnic composition when the composition itself is difficult to ignite. For instance, round stars are often primed for use in shells where the ignition time is short, whereas the same stars may be used without priming in a mine where the ignition time is longer.
Propellant		A composition used, typically, in a rocket motor to provide force. In more general terms any composition used to propel a firework into the air.
Pulverone		Granulated rough powder (usually of the same composition as blackpowder) used as the bursting charge of a shell.
Pumped star		A star produced by compressing composition in a mould. Pumped stars are usually cylindrical in form.
PVC		Poly Vinyl Chloride - one of many chlorine donors used as color enhancing agents in firework compositions.
Pyrotechnic		The generic term for any item (or composition) which reacts in a self-sustaining chemical reaction and is generally produces an effect of light, smoke, noise or heat. Pyrotechnic articles are classified differently to fireworks and the term is usually restricted to theatrical effects and specialized items such as mole smokes or thermite charges.
Quickmatch		syn. Raw match
Rack		An apparatus, usually for firing rockets. The term may also be applied to "racks" of mortars.
Rain		Usually Silver rain or Gold Rain, in modern fireworks the long lasting stars from a shell or rocket that fall all the way to the ground. Care must be taken in the use of rain shells. In older terminology a "Golden Rain" was a particularly attractive type of hand held fountain.
Ram		The rod which is used to compress powder within a tube. The ram is usually quite a tight fit to the tube (cf funnel and wire)
Ramming		The process of filling a firework case with composition. Ramming is usually applied to a mechanical process rather than to a manual process.
Raw match		Blackpowder coated thread used for linking fireworks.
Reducing agent		The chemical role of a fuel in a firework composition. As the oxidizing agent oxidizes the fuel, the fuel can be said to reduce the oxidant.
Repeater shell		Usually a cylinder shells with several timed color bursts at regular intervals. Repeater shells are often fired in sequence - 1 break, 2 break, 3 break, 4 break etc. Cf Multibreak shell
Ring shell		An aerial shell that produces a symmetric ring of stars on bursting. Ring shells often are stabilized in flight with a rope "tail" to control the orientation of burst.
Rising effect		Often synonymous with "tail effect", but may also be applied to shells in which, for instance, whistles or small shells (rising flowers) have been attached and which function on the shell's ascent.
Rocket		A aerial device propelled into the air by a motor (cf shell). many of the public will describe any aerial firework as a "rocket".
Roman candle		A tube, usually cardboard, in which several charges are loaded, each with their own delay fuse and lifting charge, which function in a sequential manner.
Round shell		An aerial shell which explodes in a spherical shape, usually containing colored stars.
Round star		A star prepared by rolling, thus applying layer upon layer of composition onto a central core.
Roundel shell		An aerial shells which comprising several maroons that burst in a circle of maroon shells that explode in sequence.
Safety area		The area around a display site, usually not including the fall out area which is considered separately.
Safety cap		syn. Fuse cover
Safety fuse		A specialized fuse, designed for commercial blasting of construction similar to Bickford fuse but with a heavy waterproof coating.
Salute		American term for maroon. Made with titanium.
Saturn pattern		Usually refers to a "Chrysanthemum in Circle" type shell rather than an "Atomic" pattern shell.
Sequence		Usually refers to the pattern of firing of a section of a display. For instance a sequence could comprise 10 x 3" gold shells followed by 10 x 4" gold shells followed by 5 x 5" gold shells.
Series circuit		The preferred method of linking multiple electric igniters. Series circuits are arranged so that the current runs through each igniter in a sequential way. Series circuits are much easier to test for continuity and correct wiring than parallel circuits.
Serpentine		Bursts to send small tubes of incendiaries skittering outward in random paths, which may culminate in exploding stars.
Serpent		Usually a small tube filled with composition and possible a report charge, that is fired in mass from shells, mines, or rarely Roman candles. The serpents fly about in a random fashion prior to bursting with a report or stars.
Set piece		A generic term for a ground firework but usually distinguished from Lancework. The set piece may be static or revolving and is made up from gerbs and/or noise and color units.
Shell		The most spectacular of fireworks comprising a lifting charge (to propel the shell into the air) and a bursting charge to eject stars or subassemblies in the air after a predetermined delay. Shells are fired from mortars.
Shell delay		A more precise term than delay fuse, this refers to the internal delay within a shell to permit it to ascent to its desired height before igniting the bursting charge. Shell delays are commonly made from composition pressed into a card tube (for cylinder shells, especially those with plastic molded cases) and variations of Bickford fuse.
Shell of shells		An aerial display shell that contains internal shells that are ignited when the main shell bursts, and subsequently produce secondary bursts.
Short circuit		Usually the accidental completion of an electrical circuit which causes the current not to flow through the electric igniters and thus leads to line failure. Short circuits can usually be discovered readily in series circuits by electrical testing of the circuit with an ohmmeter.
Shot		Usually refers to the single functioning of, say, a Roman Candle. Thus typically Roman candles are referred to as "8 shots".
Smoke		An air suspension of particles usually from incomplete combustion of a composition.
Smokeless powder		A pyrotechnic mixture containing nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine so called because, unlike blackpowder, it does not produce much smoke on burning. In this way it found favour as a propellant in small arms devices, although its use in fireworks is rare.
Spark		The typical effect caused by incandescent particles ejected from the burning surface of a composition.
Sparkler		Usually a wire coated with pyrotechnic composition that gives off small sparks when burnt. Sparklers, although considered safe, are the cause of the greatest number of hospitalised accidents in the UK each season.
Spider shell		An aerial shell having a small number of relatively large stars producing an asymmetric break. Spider shells having 24 large comets are sometimes called Octopus shells.
Splitting comet		A comet in which there is an internal charge (usually of flash powder) which when ignited splits the comet into several pieces. The effect is of a comet that travels for some period and then fragments. Splitting comet stars are typically found in shells, mines, and especially Roman candles. syn. Crossette
Squib		syn. Electric igniter also referred to as E-match.
Star		Pellets of composition (usually cylinders, cubes or spheres) used in mines, shells, roman candles, rockets and occasionally gerbs.
Star mine		A mine in which the projection of colored stars is the principle effect.
Steel mortar		A mortar made from steel tube, usually with a welded steel base. Steel mortars are increasingly rarely used due to worries about their fragmentation should a powerful shell burst within the tube. However, for some shells (particularly cylinder shells) they are still the material of choice for most people.
Storage/Magazine		The holding of fireworks prior to their use. In most countries storage of fireworks above a certain quantity requires a license.
Strobe		The effect of a strobe is the regular pulsing "on-off-on-off" of light as a firework composition burns, There are several proposed explanations of this effect. Strobe effects are most often seen in ground fireworks (strobe pots) or as stars in an aerial shell or rocket.
Tail effect		Usually a term applied to a shell in which a star (comet) has been attached to the outside and which produces a rising column of sparks on the shell's ascent. "Tail" may also be applied to rockets, Roman candle stars or even whistle units where a persistent (usually silver) spark follows the flight of the device.
Thunderflash		A generic term for a report with flash.
Tiger tail shell		Usually a solid sphere of composition fired in exactly the same manner as a shell. The effect produced is of an extremely thick rising comet. Optionally there is a small shell burst at the apex of its flight.
Titanium		A silver metal much used for producing brilliant white sparks (e.g in a maroon or gerb). Titanium does not corrode (cf aluminium), but is extremely hard and may increase the friction sensitivity of a firework composition.
TNT equivalent		A measure of explosive strength used as a comparison to TNT, usually for determining safe loading of buildings.
Top fused		Usually an aerial shell in which the time fuse (shell delay) for the functioning of the bursting charge is physically at the tope of the shell and lit independently to the lifting charge.
Torbillion		Also Tourbillion. Either very similar to a serpent unit, or a larger aerial firework comprised of a saxon and wing, designed to rise into the air on ignition.
Torpedo		A flying squib or throw down.
Transportation		The process of consigning a load of fireworks, usually taken to apply once the consignment has left the factory gates. Transportation of fireworks is subject to heavy legislative control.
Trunk		The rising effect seen on willow shells, and increasingly on man other shells.
Turning case		A specialized type of gerb used for driving wheels. Typically turning cases are made from composition containing a larger proportion of blackpowder than the equivalent gerb.
UN classification		The assignment of a packaged firework into one of the UN's 5 classes for fireworks
UN number		A four digit number assigned to any hazardous goods after classification in its TRANSPORT PACKAGING according the methods prescribed in the "orange book". For fireworks the relevant numbers are 0333 (1.1G), 0334 (1.2G), 0335 (1.3G), 0336 (1.4G) and 0337 (1.4S). The UN number should always be quoted as it uniquely identifies an item AND its hazard.
Visco fuse		A fuse, commonly used on consumer fireworks as the delay fuse, which is usually made by wrapping a core of blackpowder with thread and lacquer.
Warimono shell		A Japanese term for the type of shell that produces a spherical burst of stars. Most shells are of this type. Cf Poka shell.
Water firework		The generic term for any firework fired on the surface of water to maximize the visual effect of its reflections.
Water gerb		Usually a gerb or fountain weighted at one end and attached to a piece of cork designed to function on the surface of water. A water gerb may be lit by hand and thrown onto the water's surface, or fired like a shell from a mortar (in each case with a suitable delay fuse).
Water shell		A shell designed to function on the surface of water (e.g a lake) producing a hemisphere of stars. Water shells may be fired from mortars angled at a low angle, or may be set up on the water's surface prior to the star to the display.
Waterfall		Usually an extended curtain of silver sparks form vertical or horizontally burning tubes filled with a composition containing aluminum. Waterfall shells produce the same effect and are best fired en masse to produce a spectacle.
Weeping Willow shell		Syn. Willow shell. Contains stars (high charcoal composition makes them long-burning) that fall in the shape of long colorful willow branches and may even stay visible until they hit the ground. (Brocade Crown)
Wheel		A rotating set piece, usually powered by gerbs or turning cases, and most often rotating in a vertical plane.
Whistle		Usually a tube containing a composition made using potassium benzoate, potassium salicylate, or rarely nowadays, potassium picrate. On burning the composition burs in a rapidly oscillating manner, and the resulting pressure waves are amplified by the tube in a manner similar to an organ pipe.
Willow shell		An extremely attractive shell comprising stars made with a high percentage of charcoal. the effect is of long-burning golden stars which often (but undesirably) fall all the way to the ground. The shell may optionally be fitted with a "trunk".

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The photos for this glossary were compiled from hundreds of sites around the world, featuring numerous talented pyrotechnicians. It serves as a tribute to all these hard working artists in the world that make our skies lit up at night with joy and beauty. We salute you!