der Feuerball
fireball
A spherical mass of burning or glowing material.
EXAMPLE
Ein Feuerball stieg aus dem brennenden Gebäude auf.
A fireball rose from the burning building.
der Feuerball
fireball
der Feuerball, die Feuerbälle
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Meanings
der Feuerball
fireball
An especially bright meteor that becomes visible as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
In der Nacht beobachteten viele Menschen einen Feuerball am Himmel.
Many people observed a fireball in the sky that night.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Feuerball, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Feuerbälle |
| genitive | des Feuerballes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Feuerball | die Feuerbälle |
| accusative | den Feuerball | die Feuerbälle |
| dative | dem Feuerball | den Feuerbällen |
| genitive | des Feuerballes des Feuerballs | der Feuerbälle |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word composition
'Feuerball' (fireball) consists of 'Feuer' (fire) and 'Ball' (ball). The component 'Ball' describes the round shape here; it does not refer to a ball used for playing.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Explosion bildete sich ein riesiger Feuerball.
A huge fireball formed in the explosion.
Context clues
Words such as 'Explosion' (explosion), 'Brand' (fire), or 'Treibstoff' (fuel) point to burning material. When words like 'Meteor' (meteor), 'Sternwarte' (observatory), or movement across the night sky are mentioned, the astronomical meaning is usually intended.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Explosion des Tanks war ein Feuerball zu sehen.
After the tank exploded, a fireball could be seen.
Die Sternwarte erhielt zahlreiche Meldungen über einen Feuerball, der über den Nachthimmel zog.
The observatory received numerous reports about a fireball that moved across the night sky.
Typical expression
In reports about serious accidents, the expression 'in einem Feuerball aufgehen' (to be engulfed in a fireball) is used. It describes a sudden, violent development of fire.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Aufprall ging das Fahrzeug in einem Feuerball auf.
After the impact, the vehicle was engulfed in a fireball.
Typical collocations
When observing the sky, 'Feuerball' (fireball) is often combined with 'über den Himmel ziehen' (to move across the sky) or 'den Nachthimmel erhellen' (to light up the night sky). These combinations describe its visible movement or great brightness.
EXAMPLE
Ein Feuerball zog über den Himmel und erhellte für wenige Sekunden die Landschaft.
A fireball moved across the sky and lit up the landscape for a few seconds.
In real life
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