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Understanding firework types and effects helps you shop smarter and celebrate safely. Browse our glossary of common industry terms used on labels and in stores.
From aerial cakes to willow breaks — definitions for the terms you will see on packaging and hear at the stand.
On the shelf
Common fireworks formats you will see in tents, stands, and seasonal displays.
These items are chain-fused fireworks that propel a series of aerial shells, comets or mines into the air from collectively attached tubes to produce various colors, noises, and effects. Aerial fireworks come in a large variety of effects and sizes and are the most beautiful show pieces of consumer fireworks (a show in a box). They are also called "Cakes" or "Repeaters."
Also known as an aerial firework or repeater; cakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes.
A cartridge containing pyrotechnic composition, a burst charge, and an internal time fuse, that is launched into the air from a mortar creating a beautiful burst of firework display.
A tube used to launch artillery shells and mines into the air.
Sturdy wooden or metal frames used to support mortars in an upright position. These come in a variety of tube counts and structural designs.
Multiple pyrotechnic effects that are ignited and dispersed into the air, leaving a visual trail from the ground to the sky. These are found in preloaded tubes, reloadable tubes and cakes.
A device that projects a spray of sparks. These come in a variety of effects, colors, sounds, shapes and sizes.
A cone-shaped fountain.
A circular firework that spins round and round emitting an assortment of colored sparks, noises and effects. This item is usually fastened to a post or tree by the use of a nail.
A cylindrical firework that projects a series of colored balls of fire into the air.
A tube or cylinder with a cone-shaped front attached to a guiding stick. Some rockets are designed to produce a variety of effects like color, whistle, report, or other minor effects at the highest point of the flight path.
A small rocket that shoots into the air with a variety of effects.
A rocket-shaped item. When ignited it is launched like a missile into the air. Some missiles have colored stars, reports or whistles. They come singular or in multi-shot cakes.
A firework consisting of a small explosive charge and fuse in a heavy paper casing, producing a loud bang. These are sold individually or in rolls and bricks.
A pellet that when lit produces ash in a long snake-like effect.
Special wheel which rises rapidly in the air while emitting a spray of sparks and, sometimes, a whistle. Some may end with breaks and/or effects.
This type of cake shoots rapidly back and forth from right to left. These cakes have many tubes giving a full fan of effects into the air. The shots start on one side and then step up to the center and back down to the other side.
A rapidly fired sequence of aerial fireworks, typically fired at the end of a display. Individual fireworks sometimes have a speed-up ending, such as a 25-shot cake shooting 20 shots at a normal pace with the last 5 shots fired rapidly.
A rapidly fired sequence of firework effects.
In the air
Visual terms that describe what happens when shells open and stars spread across the sky.
A term used when the shell bursts or opens up, producing the effects and colors.
A flower-like effect that is spherical shaped; the stars do not leave trails as they expand outward.
A dense spherical burst of stars in which the stars leave a burning trail of particles as they expand outward. This is a very well-known type of firework shell break.
A floral break much like a peony but with bigger and longer-lasting stars.
A large chrysanthemum with the willow effect.
A large spherical break of stars that produce very long-lasting trails dripping down, usually silver or gold.
A large round break that looks like many fine branches hanging down from a willow tree.
An effect that looks like the large leaves hanging down from a palm tree.
An effect when stars fall slowly down in a rocking back-and-forth motion, like a leaf falling from a tree.
A visual effect of color stars that actively swarm around, illuminating into a beehive appearance.
An effect when little specs of light (sometimes colored) swarm around in the air and propel themselves outward as a school of fish would when startled.
A shell that when breaking splits across from each other, usually in the shape of a plus sign moving outward.
Similar to a ground comet, these comets are contained in a shell and when the shell breaks the comets take off and fly in different directions.
A star or fiery ball which emits a thick trail of sparks on the way up, following the star or ball until it eventually burns out or fades away. These are sometimes added to a shell, basically chasing the shell up until it breaks.
A cluster of crackling sparks in the air.
Bright twinkling points of color within a firework.
Color stars that expand outward and appear self-propelled, sometimes having an unusual noise accompanying them.
Bright flashing stars that flash on and off during their performance.
A small color or effect in the center of a display.
A trail of color or effects that follows the shell as it leaves the ground to the sky.
Effects that are fired at different levels. Example: colored mines firing from the ground with crackling at the tips of the mine and larger breaks bursting above.
What you hear
Terms for bangs, pops, and other audible effects.
A loud bang sound.
Loud report and white flash.
A rapidly popping or banging noise one after another.
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Bellino Fireworks Offers everything you need to run a successful fundraising event.
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