wildfire

American  

[wahyld-fahy^uhr] / ˈwaɪldˌfaɪər /

noun

1. any large fire in brush, forests, or open spaces that spreads rapidly and is hard to extinguish.

2. a highly flammable composition, such as Greek fire, difficult to extinguish when ignited, formerly used in warfare.

3. sheet lightning, unaccompanied by thunder.

4. the ignis fatuus or a similar light.

5. Plant Pathology.  a disease of tobacco and soybeans, characterized by brown, necrotic spots, each surrounded by a yellow band, on the leaves and caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas tabaci.

6. Pathology Obsolete.  erysipelas or some similar disease.

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wildfire British  

/ ˈwaɪldˌfaɪə /

noun

1. a highly flammable material, such as Greek fire, formerly used in warfare

2. 1. a raging and uncontrollable fire

   2. anything that is disseminated quickly (esp in the phrase spread like wildfire )

3. lightning without audible thunder

4. another name for will-o'-the-wisp

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wildfire Idioms  

1. see spread like wildfire.

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Etymology

Origin of wildfire

First recorded before 1000; Middle English wildefire, Old English wildfȳr; equivalent to wild + fire

Example Sentences

Hugs are exchanged between community members torn apart by January’s wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times

Cryptocurrencies spread through the military like wildfire in the early 2020s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Recent rains have left soil and new vegetation wet, diminishing the threat of wildfire stoked by wind.

From Los Angeles Times

In ecologically sensitive parts of the park, called “avoidance areas,” a “Natural Resource Advisor must be consulted during wildfire suppression planning and response.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Rising temperatures, frequent and intense droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires increasingly threaten the country's future growth, environment, and public health," the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a report.

From Barron's

Related Words

• blaze
• conflagration
• flare
• flash
• light
• spark