molotov cocktail
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A home-made anti-tank bomb, invented and first used by the Finns against the Russians (1940) and developed in England as one of the weapons of the Home
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “molotov cocktail” mean?
A home-made anti-tank bomb, invented and first used by the Finns against the Russians (1940) and developed in England as one of the weapons of the Home
Is “molotov cocktail” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.