1175-1225;Middle English; named after St. Catherine of Alexandria, from wheel used to torture her
British Dictionary definitions for Catherine wheel
Catherine wheel
noun
1.
Also called pinwheel. a type of firework consisting of a powder-filled spiral tube, mounted with a pin through its centre. When lit it rotates quickly, producing a display of sparks and coloured flame
2.
a circular window having ribs radiating from the centre