Definition of pyrotechnies in English

Part of speech

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pyrotechnies, noun, plural of pyrotechny.

WordNet

Noun
pyrotechny - the craft of making fireworks
		pyrotechnics
		craft, trade a vehicle designed for navigation in or on water or air or through outer space

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

pyrotechny (Noun)
The manufacture and use of fireworks.
pyrotechny (Noun)
The use of fire in chemistry and metallurgy.
pyrotechny (Noun)
The manufacture and use of gunpowder, bombs etc.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

pyrotechny (n.)
The use and application of fire in science and the arts.
pyrotechny (n.)
Same as Pyrotechnics.

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

pyrotechny
The science of artificial fire-works, including not only such as are used in war, but also those intended for amusement.

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

pyrotechny
Is the art of preparing ammunition and fireworks for military and ornamental purposes. (See AMMUNITION.) Military fireworks comprise preparations for the service of cannon ammunition, and for signal, light, incendiary, and defensive and offensive purposes. The term composition is applied to all mechanical mixtures which, by combustion, produce the effects sought to be attained in pyrotechny. The preparations for the service of ammunition are slow-match, quick-match, port-fires, friction-tubes, and fuzes.
Slow-match is used to preserve fire. It may be made of hemp or cotton rope; if made of hemp, the rope is saturated with acetate of lead, or the lye of wood-ashes; if made of cotton, it is only necessary that the strands be well twisted. Slow-match burns from 4 to 5 inches in an hour.
Quick-match is made of cotton-yarn (candle-wick) saturated with a composition of mealed powder and gummed spirits; after saturation, the yarn is wound on a reel, sprinkled (dredged) with mealed powder and left to dry. It is used to communicate fire, and burns at the rate of one yard in thirteen seconds. The rate of burning may be much increased by inclosing it in a thin paper tube called a leader.
Port-fire is a paper case containing a composition, the flame of which is capable of quickly igniting primers, quick-match, etc. A port-fire is about 22 inches long, and burns with an intense flame for ten minutes.
Friction-tube is at present the principal preparation for firing cannon; it has the advantage of portability and certainty of fire. It is composed of two brass tubes soldered at right angles. The upper, or short tube contains a charge of friction-powder, and the roughed extremity of a wire loop, the long tube is filled with rifle-powder, and is inserted in the vent of the piece. When the extremity of the loop is violently pulled by means of a lanyard, through its hole in the long tube, sufficient heat is generated to ignite the friction-powder which surrounds it, and this communicates with the grained powder in the long tube. The charge of grained powder has sufficient force to pass through the longest vent, and penetrate several thicknesses of cartridge-cloth.
Fuzes.--See FUZE.
Fireworks for Signals.--The preparations for signals are rockets and blue-lights.
Signal-Rockets.--The principal parts of a signal-rocket are the case, the composition, the pot, the decorations, and the stick. The case is made by rolling stout paper around a former. The vent is formed by choking one end of the case.
Composition.--A variety of compositions are employed for signal-rockets; a mixture of nitre 12 parts, sulphur 2 parts, charcoal 2 parts, is frequently used. The pot is formed of a paper cylinder, slipped over and pasted to the top of the case; it is surmounted with a paper cone, filled with tow. The object of the pot is to contain the decorations which are scattered through the air by the explosion which takes place when the rocket reaches the summit of its trajectory; the explosion is produced by a small charge of mealed powder. The decorations of rockets are stars, serpents, marrons, gold rain, rain of fire, etc.
Stars.--The compositions for stars are, for white: nitre 7 parts, sulphur 3 parts, mealed powder 2 parts; for red: chlorate of potassa 7 parts, sulphur 4 parts, lampblack 1 part, nitrate of strontia 12 parts; blue: chlorate of potassa 3 parts, sulphur 1 part, ammoniacal sulphate of copper 1 part; yellow: chlorate of potassa 4 parts, sulphur 2 parts, sulphate of strontia 1 part, bicarbonate of soda 1 part.
Serpents.--The case of a serpent is similar to that of a rocket; the composition is driven in, and the top is closed with moist plaster of Paris. The composition is nitre 3 parts, sulphur 3 parts, mealed powder 16 parts, charcoal ¹⁄₂ part.
Marrons.--Marrons are small paper shells, or cubes, filled with grained powder, and primed with a short piece of quick-match.
Stick.--The stick is a tapering piece of pine, about nine times the length of the case.
Blue Light.--A very brilliant bluish light may be made of the following ingredients, viz.: nitre 14 parts, sulphur 3.7 parts, realgar 1 part, mealed powder 1 part; the brilliancy depends on the purity and thorough incorporation of the ingredients.
Incendiary Fireworks.--Incendiary preparations are fire-stone, carcasses, incendiary-match, and hot shot.
Fire-stone is a composition that burns slowly, but intensely; it is placed in a shell, along with the bursting charge, for the purpose of setting fire to ships, buildings, etc. It is composed of nitre 10 parts, sulphur 4 parts, antimony 1 part, rosin 3 parts.
Carcass.--A common shell may be loaded as a carcass by placing the bursting charge at the bottom of the cavity, and covering it with carcass composition, driven in until the shell is nearly full, and then inserting four or five strands of quick-match. This projectile, after burning as a carcass, explodes as a shell. See CARCASS.
Incendiary-match.--Is made by boiling slow-match in a saturated solution of nitre, drying it, cutting it into pieces, and plunging it into melted fire-stone. It is principally used in loaded shells.
Hot Shot.--See HOT SHOT.
Fireworks for Light.--The preparations for producing light are fire-balls, light-balls, tarred-links, pitched-fascines, and torches.
Fire-ball.--A fire-ball is an oval-shaped canvas sack filled with combustible composition. It is intended to be thrown from a mortar to light up the works of an enemy, and is loaded with a shell to prevent it from being approached and extinguished. The composition for a fire-ball consists of nitre 8 parts, sulphur 2 parts, antimony 1 part. The bottom of the sack is protected from the force of the charge by an iron cup called a culob, and the whole is covered and strengthened with a net-work of spun-yarn or wire, and then overlaid with a composition of pitch, rosin, etc.
Light-ball.--These are made in the same manner as fire-balls, the shell being omitted.
Tarred-links.--Tarred links are used for lighting up a rampart, defile, etc., or for incendiary purposes. They consist of coils of soft rope placed on top of each other, and loosely tied together; they are immersed in a composition of 20 parts of pitch, and one of tallow; when dry, they are plunged into a composition of equal parts of pitch and rosin, and rolled in tow or sawdust.
Pitched-fascines.--Fagots of vine twigs or other very combustible wood, about 20 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, tied in three places with iron wire. They may be treated in the same manner and used for the same purposes as tarred-links.
Torches.--A torch is a ball of rope impregnated with an inflammable composition, and is fastened to the end of a stick, which is carried in the hand.
Offensive and Defensive Fireworks.--The principal preparations of this class, employed in modern warfare, are bags of powder and light-barrels.
Bags of Powder.--Bags or cases of powder may be used to blow down gates, stockades, or form breaches in thin walls. The petard was formerly employed for these purposes, but it is now generally thrown aside. The effect of the explosion may be much increased by making three sides of the bag of leather, and the fourth of canvas, which should rest against the object.
Light-barrel.--A light barrel is a common powder barrel pierced with numerous holes, and filled with shavings that have been soaked in a composition of pitch and rosin; it serves to light up a breach, or the bottom of a ditch.
Fireworks.--Ornamental fireworks are divided into fixed pieces, movable pieces, decorative pieces, and preparations for communicating fire from one part of a piece to another. The different effects are produced by modifying the proportions of the ingredients of the burning composition, so as to quicken or retard combustion, or by introducing substances that give color and brilliancy to the flame. The fixed pieces are lances, petards, gerbes, flames, etc.
Lances.--These are small paper tubes filled with a composition which emits a brilliant light in burning. See LANCE A FEU.
Petard.--Petards are small paper cartridges filled with powder.
Gerbe.--Gerbes are strong paper tubes or cases filled with a burning composition. The ends are tamped with moist plaster of Paris or clay. The movable pieces are sky-rockets, tourbillions, Saxons, jets, Roman candles, paper shells, etc.
Sky-rocket.--Sky-rockets are the same as the signal-rockets before described, except that the composition is arranged to give out a more brilliant train of fire. Composition: 122 parts mealed powder, 80 parts nitre, 40 parts sulphur, and 40 parts cast-iron filings.
Tourbillion.--The tourbillion is a case filled with sky-rocket composition, and which moves with an upward spiral motion.
Saxon.--The Saxon is similar to the tourbillion; it has the appearance of a revolving sun.
Jets.--Jets are rocket-cases filled with a burning composition; they are attached to the circumference of a wheel, or the end of a movable arm, to set it in motion.
Roman candles.--A Roman candle is a strong paper tube containing stars, which are successively thrown out by a small charge of powder placed under each star. A slow-burning composition is placed over each star to prevent its taking fire at once.
Paper Shell.--This piece is a paper shell filled with decorative pieces, and fired from a common mortar. It contains a small bursting charge of powder, and has a fuze regulated to ignite it when the shell reaches the summit of its trajectory.
Decorative Pieces.--Decorative pieces are stars, serpents, marrons, etc., described under the head of ROCKETS.
Preparations for communicating fire from one piece to another are quick-match, leaders, ort-fires, and mortar-fuzes. The leader is a thin paper tube containing a strand of quick-match. See QUICK-MATCH, etc.