firework

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A device consisting of a combination of explosives and combustibles, set off to generate colored lights, smoke, and noise for amusement.
• noun A display of such devices.
• noun An exciting or spectacular display, as of musical virtuosity.
• noun A display of rage or fierce contention.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun Work wrought in the fire.
• noun A contrivance of inflammable and explosive materials combined in various proportions, for the purpose of producing in combustion beautiful or amusing scenic effects, or to be used as a night signal on land or sea, or for various purposes in war: commonly used in the plural.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A device for producing a striking display of light, or a figure or figures in plain or colored fire, by the combustion of materials that burn in some peculiar manner, as gunpowder, sulphur, metallic filings, and various salts; also called a pyrotechnic device. The most common feature of fireworks is a paper or pasteboard tube filled with the combustible material. A number of these tubes or cases are often combined so as to make, when kindled, a great variety of figures in fire, often variously colored. The skyrocket is a common form of firework. The art of designing fireworks for purposes of entertainment is called pyrotechnics. The name firework is also given to various combustible preparations used in war.
• noun Obs. in the sing. A pyrotechnic exhibition; an entertainment consisting of the discharge of fireworks{1}.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A device using gunpowder and other chemicals which, when lit, emits a combination of coloured flames, sparks, whistles or bangs, and sometimes made to rocket high into the sky before exploding, used for entertainment or celebration.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun (usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.