Here is an explanation of the most frequently used fireworks terms.
| Term | Explanation | German Word |
|---|---|---|
| Ascent Effect | Some shells eject sparks while they fly upwards. This is called an ascent effect. | Aufstiegseffekt |
| Bengal Fire | A very bright burning firework that sits on the ground and illuminates the environment for several minutes. | Bengalisches Feuer |
| Bursting Charge | A small amount of black powder that makes a shell explode. | Zerlegerladung |
| Cake | Several fireworks chained together in a ready-to-use package. | Batterie (however: please note that in FWsim, ‘Battery’ is NOT a cake) |
| Catherine Wheel | Fountains mounted on a rotating wheel. The fountains make the wheel rotate. | Sonne |
| Comet | A single bright star that shoots upwards. Comets are often arranged in steppers. | Komet |
| Crackling | Ejection of fast flying sparks, combined with a sharp noise. | |
| Crossette | A star that splits into four sub-stars. | |
| Fountain | A firework that sits on the ground and shoots sparks upwards. | Fontäne |
| Lifting Charge | A small amount of black powder that ejects a shell from the mortar. | Treibladung, Ausstoßladung |
| Mine | A firework that explodes directly on the ground and shoots stars upwards. | Feuertopf |
| Palm | A shell that ejects stars. Every star drags along a trail of sparks. | Palme |
| Peony | A shell that ejects just stars. | Peonie |
| Roman Candle | Roman Candles sit on the ground and fire stars over a longer duration. Small roman candles are a popular consumer fireworks item. | Römisches Licht |
| Salut Shell | A shell without any stars. It produces a bright flash and a loud noise. | Salutbombe |
| Shell of Shells | A shell that ejects smaller sub-shells when it explodes. | |
| Shell | A round piece of firework that is launched from a mortar and explodes shortly after (learn more…) | Bombe |
| Stepper | Several shots that fire one after the other in a precisely timed manner. | |
| Tails | A trail of sparks, ejected from a star. | Schweif |