molotov cocktail
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Molotov cocktail¹
- /ˈmɒ.ləˌtɒf ˈkɒk.teɪl/ UK
- /ˈmɔ.ləˌtɔv ˈkɑk.teɪl/ US
Where it comes from
Calque of Finnish Molotovin koktaili. 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), who claimed the bombs the Soviet Union dropped on Finland were airborne humanitarian food deliveries prompting Finns to say their firebombs were Molotov cocktails (drinks to go with his food deliveries).
noun Molotov cocktails · Molotoff cocktail · molotov cocktail · Molotov's cocktail
-
A crude incendiary bomb made from a glass bottle, either filled with a flammable liquid such as petroleum and supplied with a rag for a fuse that is lit just before being hurled, or filled with such a mix of flammable liquids that it ignites itself when it is smashed and its contents are exposed to air.
The site, which appears in the wake of anti-Elon Musk protests across the country, displays names, addresses, and phone numbers of Tesla owners on an interactive map and uses an image of a Molotov cocktail as its cursor. […] In one incident in Las Vegas, an individual dressed in black used Molotov c
Similar: mollie, petrol bomb, Bandera smoothie, Molotov, molotov
molotov cocktail²
noun molotov cocktails
- Alternative letter-case form of Molotov cocktail The post included a picture of a man holding a flaming molotov cocktail, his face painted with the St George flag, emblazoned with the words: “Fcuk Ulez. People must now stand together. If Khan gets in the PURGE must begin with NO REGRETS.”
Translations
Every language
noun simple incendiary bomb
| Español | cóctel molotov, bomba molotov |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 화염병 hwayeombyeong |
| 日本語 | 火炎瓶 kaenbin, 火炎びん kaenbin |
| 中文 | 燃燒瓶 /燃烧瓶 ránshāopíng |
| Português | coquetel Molotov |
| Français | cocktail Molotov |
| Deutsch | Molotowcocktail, Brandflasche |
| Italiano | bomba Molotov |
| Ελληνικά | βόμβα μολότοφ vómva molótof, κοκτέιλ μολότωφ koktéil molótof, κοκτέιλ μολότοφ koktéil molótof |
| Русский | кокте́йль Мо́лотова koktɛ́jlʹ Mólotova |
| Tiếng Việt | chai cháy |
| العربية | زُجاجَة حَارِقَة, كُوكْتَيْل مُولُوتُوف kuktayl molotof |
| עברית | בַּקְבּוּק תַּבְעֵרָה |
Talk about this word "molotov cocktail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/molotov%20cocktail. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. molotov cocktail. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/molotov%20cocktail "molotov cocktail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/molotov%20cocktail.Cite this
@misc{molotov_cocktail_2026,
title = {molotov cocktail},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/molotov%20cocktail},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
