Definitions
- Angle Effect
Aerial repeaters that have rows of tubes that fire left, right and straight up, either separately or in combination. Also known as “W” firing.
- Bouquet
Generic term for a spherical fireworks burst.
- Break
Term for when an aerial shell opens up sending out its effects.
- Brocade
Large spherical display of color dripping down with very fine, soft, long lasting trails of color. Usually silver or gold.
- Burst
Another term for when an aerial shell opens up sending out its effects.
- Chrysanthemum
A dense, flower like fireworks display that is spherical shaped. The stars leave trails as they expand outward.
- Comet
Like an aerial shell but does not burst into a display. Instead it leaves a thick trail of sparks into the air eventually burning itself out.
- Crackling
Many loud popping/banging noises one after another.
- Crossette
Aerial shell that when it breaks, four stars are propelled outward in a cross or “plus sign +” shape.
- Dahlia
This floral break is close to a peony but with fewer, bigger and longer lasting stars.
- Display
Another term for when an aerial shell opens up sending out its effects.
- Dragon Eggs
Heavy duty display of crackling effect.
- Effects
Term for what visual and audible performances fireworks produce.
- Falling Leaf
Effect when stars fall slowly down in a rocking back and forth method as a leaf falling down out of a tree.
- Fanned
Effect in multi shot repeaters where a whole row of angled (left and right) and straight tubes fire at once filling the sky with color. This effect is usually at least 5 shots to give that “fanned” across the sky effect.
- Finale
Term used for the final and usually most intense part of a fireworks show. Individual fireworks sometimes have a sped up ending such as a 25 shot repeater shooting 20 shots at normal pace then the last 5 speed up or shoot at once.
- Fish
This aerial effect is when little specks of light swarm around in the air and propel themselves outward, as a school of fish would when startled. This effect is also described by size of effect from smallest to largest: bees, fish, and dragons.
- Glittering
Bright twinkling points of color within firework effects.
- Lava Effect
Relatively new effect for fountains. The color sprays out in “globs” of bright almost neon colors. Also known as “multi-color flaming balls”.
- Layer Effect
In repeaters that have this, effects are displayed at different levels. For example, color mines near the ground, some firecrackers mid way up and then large color displays at the top.
- Mine
This is an aerial effect that starts at the ground sending up a column of burning stars and effects into the sky.
- Multi Blooming Crackling
Very intense, wide spread crackling effect. Usually occurs after the color stars burn out in a display, the entire area the color was will be filled with this crackling barrage.
- Multi Break Shells
These shells go up as a single unit, but within are separate firework bursts that are timed to go off one after another.
- Multi color
Generic term used to describe firework effects containing 3 or more colors.
- Palm
An aerial display that resembles the large leaves hanging down from a palm tree. A palm shell that has a large tail going up will resemble the tree trunk and those are called Palm Trees.
- Pearl
A ball of color that flies through the air which will burn itself out upon reaching maximum height.
- Peony
A flower-like fireworks display that is spherical shaped. The stars do not leave trails as they expand outward.
- Pistil
Small color or effect display in the center of a larger color display.
- Quick Fire (QF)
In repeaters, the last few or row of shots will be sped up to create a small finale for that piece.
- Report
Loud “bang” sound.
- Ring Shell
When this shell breaks, it forms a circle of color stars and expands outward.
- Scrambling Comet
Visually similar as a ground based comet, these comets are contained in an aerial shell and when the shell breaks these bright comets take off and fly in different directions.
- Simultaneous Finale (SF)
In repeaters, this has the entire last row or two of shots going off at the same time.
- Spinner
Like a ground spinner but these are contained in aerial shells. When the shell breaks, these spinners ignite and spin off in different directions. Also called hummers, humming jacks, and tourbillions.
- Step Cake
A type of repeater, usually 500 gram, which shoots rapidly back & forth from left to right and right to left. A step cake has many tubes per row giving a full fan of shots into the air. The shots start on one side then “step up” to the center straight up shots and back down to the other side.
- Strobe
Bright flashing stars that blink on and off repeatedly in aerial displays.
- Swirling Tail
Usually thick colored tail twirling into the air in a corkscrew fashion.
- Tail
Trail of color or effects a shell leaves behind as it travels upward into the sky.
- V Shaped
Similar to angled or “W” firing, V shaped firing takes out the straight center shot and only fires to the left and right.
- Waterfall
An aerial shell with a very light break charge that allows the stars (usually gold) to open slowly and gracefully cascade downwards giving the appearance of a waterfall.
- Wave
Large, full gold/silver willow type effect with colored stars streaming through the gold/silver.
- Whistle
High pitched screaming effect often seen in fountains and repeaters.
- Willow
Large round aerial display that resembles the many thin branches hanging down from a weeping willow tree.
