A sparkler is a handheld firework that burns with bright, crackling sparks when you light it. Unlike bigger fireworks that explode in the sky, a sparkler is a thin metal stick coated with a special mixture that creates a shower of golden or silver sparks as it burns slowly from top to bottom.

On the Fourth of July or New Year's Eve, kids often wave sparklers in the air to create glowing patterns and trails of light. The sparks can reach very high temperatures, hot enough to burn through paper or melt plastic, which is why people remind kids to hold them at arm's length and not to touch the wire tip, even after it stops sparkling.

The word can also describe anything that sparkles or shines with small flashes of light. A lake in bright sunlight becomes a sparkler as waves catch the light. Someone might call a particularly brilliant student a sparkler in math class, meaning they shine with quick, bright intelligence.