Bolide vs. Fireball — What's the Difference?

A bolide is normally taken to mean an exceptionally bright meteor, but the term is subject to more than one definition, according to context. It may refer to any large crater-forming body, or to one that explodes in the atmosphere.

A brilliantly burning sphere.

A meteoric flash or flare created when a meteoroid explodes or vaporizes as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. Also called fireball.

A highly luminous, intensely hot spherical cloud of dust, gas, and vapor generated by a nuclear explosion.

An extremely bright meteor.

See bolide.

Any extraterrestrial body that collides with Earth.

See ball of fire.

A fireball.

A ball of fire, especially one associated with an explosion.

A kind of meteor; a bolis.

(astronomy) A meteor bright enough to cast shadows.

An especially luminous meteor (sometimes exploding)

(figurative) A feisty, strong-willed person.

(sailing) A class of sailing dinghy with a single trapeze and a symmetrical spinnaker, sailed by a crew of two.

(heraldry) A charge made of a disc-shaped bomb shell, with four sets of flames, at the top, bottom and on either side.

A ball filled with combustibles to be thrown among enemies.

(intransitive) To explode in a ball of flame.

(baseball) To pitch the ball very fast.

To attack with balls of fire.

A ball filled with powder or other combustibles, intended to be thrown among enemies, and to injure by explosion; also, to set fire to their works and light them up, so that movements may be seen.

A rare phenomenon often associated with or caused by lightning, resembling a luminous ball of fire passing rapidly through the air or along solid objects, then disappearing, and sometimes exploding. It seldom lasts more than a few seconds. Also called ball lightning, globe lightning, globular lightning, or kugelblitz.

A large mass of fire caused by a large explosion, as of inflammable liquids or a nuclear device. The larger fireballs, as of nuclear explosions, rise seemingly intact into the air and may reach high altitudes while still glowing.

An especially luminous meteor (sometimes exploding)

A highly energetic and indefatigable person

A ball of fire (such as the sun or a ball-shaped discharge of lightning)

The luminous center of a nuclear explosion