Wiktionary
star shell
alt. (context military English) A type of ammunition shell which bursts to release a shower of stars for illuminating enemy positions etc. n. (context military English) A type of ammunition shell which bursts to release a shower of stars for illuminating enemy positions etc.
WordNet
star shell
n. an artillery shell containing an illuminant
Usage examples of "star shell".
A mass of silvery fish, none of them more than a finger long, flicked into sight like magnesium raining from a star shell.
The glory lights up the world and changes it the way a star shell changes a battleground.