Molotov cocktail
WordNet
noun
(1) A crude incendiary bomb made of a bottle filled with flammable liquid and fitted with a rag wick
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Coined in Finland during the Winter War of 1939/40 between Finland and the Soviet Union, and named after then Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986). The Finns used Molotov cocktails against the Soviets.
Noun
- A simple incendiary bomb made from a glass bottle, filled with an inflammable liquid such as petroleum, with a rag for a fuse that is lit just before being hurled.
- A similar incendiary but made stoppered and containing phosphorus dissolved in benzene which would self-ignite when smashed and the contents exposed to air. Issued to civilians in Britain during World War II.