wildfire Hear it!

wildfire Definition

wild·fire (-fīr′)

noun

  1. Obsolete
    1. a highly destructive fire
    2. a highly flammable substance; specif., Greek fire
  2. Now Rare will-o'-the-wisp
  3. a large, intense fire, usually in an uninhabited area, that is difficult to bring under control

wildfire Idioms

spread like wildfire

to be disseminated widely and rapidly: said as of a rumor

wildfire Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • rage: When people think of raging wildfires, they worry about Bambi, not Kermit.
  • ignite: Therefore, fossil charcoal provides a unique tool to assess the extent of wildfires ignited by the K/T impact.
  • follow: Fire moth: this flower and moth are only found following wildfire!

Preposition: around

  • globe: A financial crisis in Southeast Asia spreading like wildfire around the globe to Russia and then South America.

Adjective modifier

  • large: The concepts have been adapted from Australian incident control systems ( 22 ) used at large wildfires.
  • catastrophic: The threat of catastrophic wildfires seems to have become more severe.
  • like: Infection followed operations almost as a matter of course and the dread scourge 'hospital gangrene ' spread from one ward to another like wildfire.
  • extensive: Therefore our results show that the fossil record indicates that the impact of Chixculub did not generate sufficient thermal power to ignite extensive wildfires.
  • much: In the North, there is too little controlled open burning; in the South, perhaps too much wildfire.
  • major: Every summer we hear news of a major wildfire in some part of the world or other.

Modifies a noun

  • risk: Public access to the countryside continues to widen and wildfire risk will increase.
  • season: This year has been one of the worst western wildfire seasons in recent history.
  • protection: Wildfire protection bills were introduced in the 107th Congress; however, none was enacted.
  • disaster: A table is also presented which lists the most significant single fires in urban / rural wildfire disasters of Australia and California.
  • condition: Brittle forests and rangelands around the state have produced wildfire conditions usually not seen until June or July.
  • report: Please get in touch if you witness any other outbreaks and send us a wildfire report on your observations.

Preposition: across

  • whole: He then said, " ..the beacon that has started here in Garstang can spread like wildfire across the whole of the country.
  • country: This has only served to spark mass protests, which quickly spread like wildfire across the country.

Noun used with modifier

  • moorland: Risk workshop report - Peak District ( moorland wildfires ) ( pdf, 317KB ).
  • summer: Unlike hot summer wildfires the lichen and reptile interest is unharmed and the impact on invertebrates is minimal and short term.

Browse dictionary entries near wildfire

  1. wilderness area
  2. wilderness
  3. wilder
  4. wildebeest
  5. Wilde
  6. wildcat drilling
  7. wildcat
  8. Wild West show
  9. Wild West
  10. wild vanilla
  1. wildflower
  2. wildfowl
  3. wilding
  4. wildlife
  5. wildling
  6. wildly
  7. wilds
  8. wildwood
  9. wile
  10. Wilfred