Glossary of Firework Names O - Z

Item	Definition
Open circuit	An incomplete electrical circuit
Orange book	The United Nations publication for classification and testing of dangerous goods
Oxidant	The component of an explosive that supplies oxygen for the reaction of the product
Palm burst	A colour break with palm tree core
Parallel circuit	An electrical circuit in which the current is divided between several igniters. Less easy to test for breaks.
Paste	Commonly used to cover shells to enhance their burst
Pattern shell	A shell of fewer stars that creates a pattern rather than a sphere
Pellet	See Star
Peony shell	A shell whose stars do not leave any trails
PIC	Plastic Igniter cord
Pigeon	A specialised type of firework which travels to and fro along a horizontal rope
Piped match	Raw match enclosed in a paper or plastic tube
Pistil	The central core of a shell. Often a complimentary or contrasting colour to the main burst
Plug	See Bung
Portfire	A thin walled tube filled with slow burning composition used to light other fireworks
Propellant	Composition used to produce force e.g. A rocket motor
Punk	Slow burning lighter for small fireworks
Pyrotechnic	Generic term for any item which react in a self sustaining chemical reaction and generally produces a light effect. Pyrotechnic articles are different to fireworks and generally are used for stage and theatrical uses
Quickmatch	Raw match enclosed in a paper or plastic tube
Rack	Apparatus for firing rockets or mortar tubes
Rain	Shells containing long burning stars that fall all the way to the ground.
Raw match	Black powder coated thread used for linking fireworks
Repeater shell	Usually a cylinder shell with timed bursts at regular intervals
Ring shell	An aerial shell that produces symmetrical rings of stars often have a rope tail to control orientation of the break
Rising effect	Often a tail effect on a shell but can be external attachments to a shell that break off during the rise to create special effects
Rocket	Aerial effect propelled by a motor
Rocket cone	A device for firing flight rockets
Rocket motor	The power unit behind a rocket. Typically made by pressing black powder into a choked tube
Roman candle	A cardboard tube with a stack of timed comets or bombette units
Round shell	A shell in the form of a sphere usually containing coloured stars
Safety area	The area around a fireworks display site between the spectators and fireworks. Not including a fall out zone
Salute	Report or loud bang
Saturn shell	A chrysanthemum break with an outer ring of a contrasting colour
Saxon	A bar with centre pivot with drivers at either one or two ends which make the bar spin on a central point.
Screecher	A whistle unit with a hole through the centre. This increases the burn speed and therefore the sound
Sequence	The pattern in which fireworks are detonated in a display
Series circuit	A circuit arranged so the current runs through each igniter in turn. This enables and breaks to be detected
Serpent	A spinning tube used in candles and shells. Usually with a report unit
Set piece	A ground firework. Generally static
Shell	The most spectacular of fireworks propelled with a lifting charge from a mortar and a bursting charge that charge to a star composition in the air after a predetermined delay
Shell delay	See Delay fuse
Shell of shells	An aerial shell that contains smaller shells ignited when the main shell bursts and subsequently produces small secondary bursts
Short circuit	The accidental completion of a circuit which causes the current to not flow through the igniter
Shot	The single functioning of a roman candle or cake
Smoke	Air suspension of particles from incomplete combustion of a composition
Smokeless powder	A powder containing nitro-cellulose and nitro-glycerine as it does not produce much smoke
Spark	Typical effect caused by incandescent particles ejected form the surface of a burning composition
Sparkler	Wire coated with pyrotechnic composition that gives off small sparks
Spider shell	A shell containing a small number of large stars producing a symmetrical burst. Sometimes called octopus shells
Splitting comet	A comet with an internal charge of flash powder which when ignited splits the comet into several pieces.
Squib	Electric igniter
Star	A pressed unit of composition usually spheres or cylinders used in shells, mines, rockets and roman candles
Storage	The holding of fireworks prior to their use. Premises must be licensed for amounts above a certain quantity
Strobe	A pulsing on off star effect fired from candles and shells and ground based effects
Tail effect	A comet star secured to the outside of a shell to give a tail to the rising shell
Tiger tail shell	A shell made up of a solid ball of composition to produce a substantial tail effect. Sometimes with a small shell break
Titanium	A silver metal used in the production of maroons and gerbes
Top fused	A shell where the shell delay is lit separately from the lifting charge. Often found in large Maltese shells
Tourbillion	See Serpent
Transportation	The process of consigning a load of fireworks. Subject to heavy legislative control
TREM card	Documentation required when transporting fireworks of any quantity. Transport emergency card. Provide information for emergency services
Trunk	A large tail unit often used on palm and willow shells
UN classification	The assignment of a packaged firework into the UN classes for fireworks
UN compatibility group	The G or S of 1.3G or 1.4S. The compatibility group indicated what a particular item may and not be transported with
UN Hazard code	See UN number
UN Mark	A complicated mark assigned to a particular packing box for dangerous goods
UN Number	A four-digit number assigned to hazardous goods. Explosives always start with a 0 e.g. 1.4G fireworks are UN 0336. Used to identify a dangerous item in the event of an emergency
Volley	A mass firing of rockets or shells
Water firework	Aquatic fireworks e.g. shells or water gerb
Water gerb	A floating gerb with a weight and cork float.
Water shell	See Aquatic shell
Waterfall	A curtain of coloured or silver sparks that falls vertically. Composition is made from an aluminium alloy
Weeping willow	See Willow shell
Wheel	A rotating piece attached to a post in the form of a saxon bar or wheel with driver units
Whistle	A tube containing composition of potassium benzoate and potassium silicate. On burning the composition creates oscillation in the tube and creates a whistle effect which is amplified in the tube
Whizzer	See Hummer
Willow shell	A shell containing charcoal based stars with a long burn time which often fall to the ground