Roman candle

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

Roman candle (plural Roman candles)

1. A traditional type of firework that ejects one or more stars or exploding shells.
2. A parachute deployment failure in which the parachutist whirls downward at high speed.

Derived terms

• Roman-candle (verbal form)

Translations

a type of firework

• Czech: římská svíce (cs)
• Danish: romerlys n
• Dutch: romeinse kaars
• Finnish: roomalainen kynttilä
• German: Römische Licht, (in Switzerland) Römische Kerze
• Hawaiian: ihoihokī
• Italian: candela romana
• Lao: ບັ້ງໄຟດອກ (bang fai dǭk)
• Ottoman Turkish: دخمه (dahme)
• Russian: римская свеча́ (rimskaja svečá)
• Slovak: rímska svieca
• Slovene: rimska sveča
• Swedish: romerskt ljus
• Turkish: dahme

a parachute deployment failure

Verb

Roman candle (third-person singular simple present Roman candles, present participle Roman candling, simple past and past participle Roman candled)

1. Alternative form of Roman-candle.
   • 2007, J. Joseph Higgins, The Splat Conspiracy: America in Peril, page 145:

     At first, Cyclops's chute began to Roman candle, but in another moment, it popped.

   • 2012, Nigel Cawthorne, The Mammoth Book of Inside the Elite Forces:

     Canopies used to be made of silk and when they got wet they would not open, leaving the parachutist to “Roman candle” to a certain death.

   • 2018, Mark Seaman, Undercover Agent:

     That was the theory, but as Corby continued, 'Unfortunately, in operation, this type of parachute tended to "Roman Candle" twist round and round, so that ultimately caused the parachute to collapse and allow the man to fall to the ground unsupported.'