blaze

[ bleyz ]

/ bleɪz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR blaze ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a bright flame or fire: the welcome blaze of the hearth.

a bright, hot gleam or glow: the blaze of day.

a sparkling brightness: a blaze of jewels.

a sudden, intense outburst, as of fire, passion, or fury: to unleash a blaze of pent-up emotions; a blaze of glory.

blazes, Informal. hell: Go to blazes!

verb (used without object), blazed, blaz·ing.

to burn brightly (sometimes followed by away, up, forth): The bonfire blazed away for hours. The dry wood blazed up at the touch of a match.

to shine like flame (sometimes followed by forth): Their faces blazed with enthusiasm.

to burn with intense feeling or passion (sometimes followed by up): He blazed up at the insult.

to shoot steadily or continuously (usually followed by away): The contestants blazed away at the clay pigeons.

to be brilliantly conspicuous.

Nearby words

Origin of blaze

before 1000; Middle English, Old English blase torch, flame; cognate with Middle High German blas torch

SYNONYMS FOR blaze

1. See flame.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR blaze ON THESAURUS.COM

blaze

[ bleyz ]

/ bleɪz /

noun

a spot or mark made on a tree, as by painting or notching or by chipping away a piece of the bark, to indicate a trail or boundary.

a white area down the center of the face of a horse, cow, etc.

verb (used with object), blazed, blaz·ing.

to mark with blazes: to blaze a trail.

to lead in forming or finding (a new method, course, etc.): His research in rocketry blazed the way for space travel.

Origin of blaze

1655–65; akin to Old Norse blesi, Dutch bles, German Blässe white mark on a beast's face, and to German blass pale

blaze

[ bleyz ]

/ bleɪz /

verb (used with object), blazed, blaz·ing.

to make known; proclaim; publish: Headlines blazed the shocking news.

Obsolete. to blow, as from a trumpet.

Origin of blaze

1350–1400; Middle English blasen < Middle Dutch; cognate with Old Norse blāsa to blow. See blast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for blaze

A Molotov cocktail tumbled in an arc overhead and erupted briefly in a blaze.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution|Jason McGahan|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The blaze was deemed suspicious enough to warrant an investigation.
The Loser Who Wanted to Be the ISIS Agent Next Door|Michael Daly|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They began assisting whomever they could and made plans to fight this blaze on high.
The Flying New York Fireman Who Shined on 9/11|Michael Daly|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pasto is almost 8,300 feet up in the mountains, so it was cold and crisp, with a blaze of stars across the sky.
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans|Chris Allbritton|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Watch what happens at the scene of a blaze when a radio call of “Mayday!”
Why the White Americans Got the ‘Secret’ Ebola Serum|Michael Daly|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A handsome man is very dry fuel near a young lady's warm heart—her enthusiasm soon glows into a blaze.
Miles Tremenhere, Vol 1 of 2|Annette Marie Maillard
Stubby pushed two chairs up to the fire, waved Jack to one, and extended his own feet to the blaze.
Poor Man's Rock|Bertrand W. Sinclair
She watched the thin paper curl and smolder among the smoking embers of last night's blaze.
The Best Short Stories of 1920|Various
I was still so youthful that I felt uneasy about the ribbon which seemed to blaze and draw all eyes.
My Recollections|Jules Massenet
Seldom has a theological topic caused such a blaze of tumult.
History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology|John F. Hurst

British Dictionary definitions for blaze

blaze

/ (bleɪz) /

noun

a strong fire or flame

a very bright light or glare

an outburst (of passion, acclaim, patriotism, etc)

brilliance; brightness

verb (intr)

to burn fiercely

to shine brightly

(often foll by up) to become stirred, as with anger or excitement

(usually foll by away) to shoot continuously

Word Origin for blaze

Old English blæse

noun

a mark, usually indicating a path, made on a tree, esp by chipping off the bark

a light-coloured marking on the face of a domestic animal, esp a horse

verb (tr)

to indicate or mark (a tree, path, etc) with a blaze

blaze a trail to explore new territories, areas of knowledge, etc, in such a way that others can follow

Word Origin for blaze

C17: probably from Middle Low German bles white marking; compare blemish

verb

(tr often foll by abroad) to make widely known; proclaim

Word Origin for blaze

C14: from Middle Dutch blāsen, from Old High German blāsan; related to Old Norse blāsa

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for blaze

blaze

n.1

"bright flame, fire," Old English blæse "a torch, flame, firebrand, lamp," from Proto-Germanic *blas- "shining, white" (cf. Old Saxon blas "white, whitish," Middle High German blas "bald," originally "white, shining," Old High German blas-ros "horse with a white spot," Middle Dutch and Dutch bles, German Blesse "white spot," blass "pale, whitish"), from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn" (see bleach (v.)).

blaze

n.2

"light-colored mark or spot," 1630s, northern English dialect, probably from Old Norse blesi "white spot on a horse's face" (from the same root as blaze (n.1)). A Low German cognate of the Norse word also has been suggested as the source. Applied 1660s in American English to marks cut on tree trunks to indicate a track; thus the verb meaning "to mark a trail;" first recorded 1750, American English. Related: Blazed; blazing.

v.2

"make public" (often in a bad sense, boastfully), late 14c., perhaps from Middle Dutch blasen "to blow" (on a trumpet), from Proto-Germanic *blaes-an (cf. German blasen, Gothic -blesan), from PIE *bhle-, variant of root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (see bole).

v.1

"to burn brightly or vigorously," c.1200, from blaze (n.1). Related: Blazed; blazing.

v.3

"to mark" (a tree, a trail), 1750, American English; see blaze (n.2).

Idioms and Phrases with blaze

blaze

In addition to the idiom beginning with blaze

blaze a trail

also see:

hot as blazes
like greased lightning (blazes)

blaze

noun

verb (used without object), blazed, blaz·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of blaze

blaze

noun

verb (used with object), blazed, blaz·ing.

Origin of blaze

blaze

verb (used with object), blazed, blaz·ing.

Origin of blaze

Examples from the Web for blaze

blaze

noun

verb (intr)

Word Origin for blaze

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for blaze

verb

Word Origin for blaze

blaze

blaze

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