blaze Hear it!

blaze¹ Definition

blaze (blāz)

noun

  1. a brilliant mass or burst of flame; strongly burning fire
  2. any very bright, often hot, light or glare the blaze of searchlights
  3. a sudden, spectacular occurrence; showy outburst a blaze of oratory
  4. a brightness; vivid display; flash
  5. hell: a euphemism, esp. in the phrase go to blazes!

Etymology: ME blase < OE blæse, blase, a torch, flame < IE *bhles-, shine < base *bhel-: see black

intransitive verb blazed, blaz′·ing

  1. to burn rapidly or brightly; flame
  2. to give off a strong, vivid light; shine very brightly; glare
  3. to be deeply stirred or excited, as with anger

transitive verb

Rare to cause to blaze

blaze¹ Idioms

blaze away

  1. to fire a gun rapidly a number of times
  2. to speak heatedly
blaze² Definition

blaze (blāz)

noun

  1. a light-colored spot on an animal's face
  2. ☆ a mark made on a tree, as to mark a trail, by cutting off a piece of bark

Etymology: < ON blesi: for IE base see blaze

transitive verb blazed, blaz′·ing

to mark (a tree or trail) with blazes

blaze² Idioms

blaze a way

☆

to pioneer, set a direction or course, etc. she blazed a new path in modern dance

blaze³ Definition

blaze (blāz)

transitive verb blazed, blaz′·ing

to make known publicly; spread the news of; proclaim

Etymology: ME blasen, to blow < OE or ON form akin to Ger < IE *bhlē- < base *bhel-, to swell, blow up > ball; infl. by blazon

blaze Synonyms

blaze

n.

  1. Fire

    conflagration, flame, burning; see fire 1.

  2. Sudden or strong light

    burst, gleam, flash, beam; see flash 1. See syn. study at flame.

blaze Synonyms

blaze

v.

flame, flash, flare up; see burn 1.

blaze Usage Examples

Object

  • inferno: Brad risks his life to rescue Beth and Hannah when they are caught in a blazing inferno - can he save them?
  • trail: Is the new driving license blazing a trail for a national identity card?
  • sunshine: Here we are in the blazing sunshine atop Hoover dam.
  • flashlight: Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing flashlight passed between the halves of the dead animals.
  • sun: I stood beneath a blazing sun - which should not, could not exist.
  • row: She later told officers Neal had repeatedly smashed her head against the bedroom wall during a blazing row.

Converse of object

  • extinguish: Firefighter worked quickly to extinguish the blaze using hose reels.
  • tackle: How about a word of praise for the crews who tackled the blaze at the London factory.
  • rip: Colin Lyon died after the blaze ripped through his home in Darroch Drive in the early hours of Sunday morning.
  • spark: Dawn has her day in court A BLAZING row sparks a blaze of another kind in the Emmerdale vicarage on Friday.
  • fight: Half a dozen fire engines fought the blaze, thought to have started at about 10pm.
  • sweep: GRIEVING relatives have paid touching tributes to a disabled woman who died after a killer blaze swept through her home on Saturday morning.

Adjective modifier

  • white: A white blaze on the forehead or a spot on the neck is also seen.
  • massive: Elstow Storage Dept, in the outskirts of Bedford, had a massive blaze which took more than twenty-four hours to contain.

Modifying Another Word

  • brightly: There it was now, blazing brightly, for him, for him alone.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • over: Blew their best chance, blazing over on hour.

Preposition: of

  • glory: Blaze of Glory: The signed card appears in a ball of fire!
  • publicity: We didn't launch in a blaze of publicity.
  • sunshine: The whole long day was a blaze of sunshine.
  • color: Later in spring, the plain is a blaze of color.
blaze Quotes

And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier, Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing The soul's sap quivers.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

And broader still became the blaze, and louder still the din, And fast from every village round the horse came spurring in.

—1st Baron

Alas! What boots it with uncessant care To tend the homely slighted Shepherd's trade, And strictly meditate the thankless muse; Were it not better done as others use, To sport with Amaryllis in the shade, Or with the tangles of Neaera's hair? Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise (That last infirmity of noble mind) To scorn delights, and live laborious days; But the fair guerdon when we hope to find, And think to burst out into sudden blaze, Comes the blind Fury with th'abhorred shears, And slits the thin-spun life.

—Milton,John

Let there pass A minute, ten, ten trillion; but the blaze Is infinite, eternal: this is death. To die and know it. This is the Black Widow, death.

—Lowell, RobertTraill Spence,Jr

Browse dictionary entries near blaze

  1. ‹ blaxploitation
  2. ‹ Blavatsky
  3. ‹ blaubok
  4. ‹ blatherskite
  5. ‹ blather
  6. ‹ blatant
  7. ‹ blatancy
  8. ‹ blat
  9. ‹ blastula
  10. ‹ blastosphere
  1. blaze away ›
  2. blazer ›
  3. blazing star ›
  4. blazon ›
  5. blazonry ›
  6. bldg ›
  7. bldr ›
  8. -ble ›
  9. bleach ›
  10. bleacherite ›