flame

[ fleym ]

/ fleɪm /

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See synonyms for: flame / flames / flaming on Thesaurus.com

noun

burning gas or vapor, as from wood or coal, that is undergoing combustion; a portion of ignited gas or vapor.

Often flames . the state or condition of blazing combustion:to burst into flames.

any flamelike condition; glow; inflamed condition.

brilliant light; scintillating luster.

bright coloring; a streak or patch of color.

flame color.

intense ardor, zeal, or passion.

Informal. an object of one's passionate love; sweetheart: He's taking out his new flame tonight.

Computer Slang. an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an online comment.

verb (used without object), flamed, flam·ing.

to burn with a flame or flames; burst into flames; blaze.

to glow like flame; shine brilliantly; flash.

to burn or burst forth with strong emotion; break into open anger, indignation, etc.

Computer Slang. to post an angry, critical, or disparaging electronic message, as an online comment.

verb (used with object), flamed, flam·ing.

to subject to the action of flame or fire.

to flambé.

Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily in an online post or comment.

Verb Phrases

flame out,

(of a jet engine) to cease to function due to an interruption of the fuel supply or to faulty combustion.
to burst out in or as if in flames.

OTHER WORDS FOR flame

1 fire.

See synonyms for flame on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of flame

First recorded in 1300–50; (noun) Middle English flaume, from Anglo-French, variant of flaumbe; Old French flambe, earlier flamble, from Latin flammula, diminutive of flamma “flame” (see -ule); (verb) Middle English flaumen, from Anglo-French flaum(b)er; Old French flamber, from Latin flammāre, derivative of flamma

synonym study for flame

1. Flame, blaze, conflagration refer to the light and heat given off by combustion. Flame is the common word, referring to a combustion of any size: the light of a match flame. Blaze usually denotes a quick, hot, bright, and comparatively large flame: The fire burst into a blaze. Conflagration refers to destructive flames which spread over a considerable area: A conflagration destroyed Chicago.

OTHER WORDS FROM flame

flamer, nounflameless, adjectiveflamelike, adjectiveoutflame, verb (used with object), out·flamed, out·flam·ing.

pre·flame, adjectiveun·der·flame, noun

Words nearby flame

flam, flambé, flambeau, Flamborough Head, flamboyant, flame, flame-arc light, flame azalea, flame carbon, flame cell, flame color

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use flame in a sentence

We used it to prepare a few rib eyes, and the virtual temperature controls were helpful to get just the right amount of heat and flame out of our wood.
5 Portable Grills for All Your Outdoor Cooking Needs|Amy Marturana Winderl|September 2, 2020|Outside Online
Stoichiometric flames are the Goldilocks variety, with just the right amount of fuel for complete combustion.
Four types of flames join forces to make this eerie ‘blue whirl’|Emily Conover|August 12, 2020|Science News
Replacing the flammable liquid in lithium-ion batteries would tame their risk of flame.
Batteries should not burst into flames|Carolyn Wilke|April 16, 2020|Science News For Students
The latter, however, was successful in mitigating the danger by putting out the flames.
Know Your Historical Warships: From 7th Century BC – 17th Century AD|Dattatreya Mandal|April 4, 2020|Realm of History

Launching rice and its fixings allows a chef to cook it over really hot flames without burning.
There’s science to making great fried rice|Emily Conover|March 4, 2020|Science News For Students
Hatuey asked the religious man holding the flame if indeed any Christians were in heaven.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind|Brin-Jonathan Butler|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An orange blossom of flame exploded on our screens as a new reality dawned.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11|John Avlon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What if it was the divine being who was a symbol for the original object of worship: the flame?
Spirit Tripping With Colombian Shamans|Chris Allbritton|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That is, until a rough-tongued Scotsman rekindled the flame.
Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle|Clive Irving|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to their friend, producer/filmmaker Choke No Joke, it was over a mutual flame.
Did Beyoncé Just Accuse Jay Z of Cheating?|Marlow Stern|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like many another cavalier, he had a flame in every country, or rather, in every town which he visited.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The very soil in which it grew must be burned out with the flame of avenging justice.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The bushes seemed to burst into smoke and flame, and then came a crashing volley in return.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
A fiery intensity of light lay over it, as though any moment it must burst into sheets of flame.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
It is very combustible, burns with a pale blue flame, and is converted into water.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for flame

flame

/ (fleɪm) /

noun

a hot usually luminous body of burning gas often containing small incandescent particles, typically emanating in flickering streams from burning material or produced by a jet of ignited gas

(often plural) the state or condition of burning with flamesto burst into flames

a brilliant light; fiery glow

a strong reddish-orange colour
(as adjective)a flame carpet

intense passion or ardour; burning emotion

informal a lover or sweetheart (esp in the phrase an old flame)

informal an abusive message sent by electronic mail, esp to express anger or criticism of an internet user

verb

to burn or cause to burn brightly; give off or cause to give off flame

(intr) to burn or glow as if with fire; become red or fieryhis face flamed with anger

(intr) to show great emotion; become angry or excited

(tr) to apply a flame to (something)

(tr) archaic to set on fire, either physically or with emotion

informal to send an abusive message by electronic mail

Derived forms of flame

flamer, nounflameless, adjectiveflamelet, nounflamelike, adjective

flamy, adjective

Word Origin for flame

C14: from Anglo-French flaume, from Old French flambe, modification of flamble, from Latin flammula a little flame, from flamma flame

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

Scientific definitions for flame

flame

[ flām ]

The hot, glowing mixture of burning gases and tiny particles that arises from combustion. Flames get their light either from the fluorescence of molecules or ions that have become excited, or from the incandescence of solid particles involved in the combustion process, such as the carbon particles from a candle.

Other Idioms and Phrases with flame

flame

see add fuel to the fire (flames); burst into (flames); fan the flames; go up in flames; shoot down (in flames).

flame

OTHER WORDS FOR flame

Origin of flame

synonym study for flame

OTHER WORDS FROM flame

Words nearby flame

Words related to flame

How to use flame in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flame

Derived forms of flame

Word Origin for flame

Scientific definitions for flame

Other Idioms and Phrases with flame