petrol bomb
The standard British and Irish English term for what Americans call a Molotov cocktail — an improvised incendiary weapon made from a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid and plugged with a wick.
Definitions
The standard British and Irish English term for what Americans call a Molotov cocktail — an improvised incendiary weapon made from a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid and plugged with a wick. The term is used in news reporting, historical accounts, and political discussions, particularly in the context of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and various civil unrest events. It lacks the glamorizing connotations of 'Molotov cocktail' and is generally treated as a neutral factual descriptor in UK media.
Footage showed a protester hurling a petrol bomb at the line of riot shields.
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(UK, Ireland) A Molotov cocktail.
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