balefire
[ beyl-fahyuh r ]
/ ˈbeɪlˌfaɪər /
noun
a large fire in the open air; bonfire.
a signal fire; beacon.
the fire of a funeral pile.
Words nearby balefire
bale cubic, balearic islands, baleboste, baleen, baleen whale, balefire, baleful, balenciaga, baler, balestra, balewa
Origin of balefire
1250–1300; Middle English bal(e)fir, equivalent to bale (< Old Norse bāl funeral pyre) + fire fire; replacing Old English bǣlfȳr
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for balefire
This word was the last which the wise old man harbored in heart ere hot death-waves of balefire he chose.
Beowulf|AnonymousA single window in the wing gleamed like a balefire in the rays of the setting sun.
Shapes that Haunt the Dusk|VariousBalefire devoured, greediest spirit, those spared not by war out of either folk: their flower was gone.
Beowulf|Anonymous
British Dictionary definitions for balefire
balefire
/ (ˈbeɪlˌfaɪə) /
noun archaic
a bonfire
a beacon fire
a funeral pyre
Word Origin for balefire
C14 bale, from Old English bǣl pyre; related to Old Norse bāl flame, pyre, Sanskrit bhāla brightness
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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