flare

[flair]

verb (used without object)

flared, flaring 

1. to burn with an unsteady, swaying flame, as a torch or candle in the wind.

   Synonyms: flame

2. to blaze with a sudden burst of flame (often followed byup ).

   The fire flared up as the paper caught.

3. to start up or burst out in sudden, fierce intensity or activity (often followed byup ).

   His stomach problems have flared up.

4. to become suddenly enraged; express sudden, fierce anger or passion (usually followed by up orout ).

   I’m not a person who flares easily. She sometimes flares out at the kids.

   Synonyms: flame, blaze, flash, explode, erupt

5. to shine or glow.

6. to spread gradually outward, as the end of a trumpet, the bottom of a wide skirt, or the sides of a ship.

verb (used with object)

flared, flaring 

1. to cause (a candle, torch, etc.) to burn with a swaying flame.

2. to display conspicuously or ostentatiously.

3. to signal by flares of fire or light.

4. to cause (something) to spread gradually outward in form.

5. Metallurgy.,  to heat (a high-zinc brass) to such a high temperature that the zinc vapors begin to burn.

6. to discharge and burn (excess gas) at a well or refinery.

noun

1. a flaring or swaying flame or light, as of torches in the wind.

2. a sudden blaze or burst of flame.

   Synonyms: flash

3. a bright blaze of fire or light used as a signal, a means of illumination or guidance, etc.

4. a device or substance used to produce such a blaze of fire or light.

5. a sudden burst, as of zeal or of anger.

6. a gradual spread outward in form; outward curvature.

   the flare of a skirt.

7. something that spreads out.

8. Optics.,  light, often unwanted or extraneous, reaching the image plane of an optical instrument, as a camera, resulting from reflections, scattering by lenses, and the like.

9. Photography.,  a fogged appearance given to an image by reflection within a camera lens or within the camera itself.

10. Also called solar flare. Astronomy.,  a sudden and brief brightening of the solar atmosphere in the vicinity of a sunspot that results from an explosive release of particles and radiation.

11. Football.,  a short pass thrown to a back who is running toward a sideline and is not beyond the line of scrimmage.

12. Television.,  a dark area on a CRT picture tube caused by variations in light intensity.

flare

/ flɛə /

verb

1. to burn or cause to burn with an unsteady or sudden bright flame

2. to spread or cause to spread outwards from a narrow to a wider shape

3. (tr) to make a conspicuous display of

4. to increase the temperature of (a molten metal or alloy) until a gaseous constituent of the melt burns with a characteristic flame or (of a molten metal or alloy) to show such a flame

5. (in the oil industry) to burn off (unwanted gas) at an oil well

noun

1. an unsteady flame

2. a sudden burst of flame

3. 1. a blaze of light or fire used to illuminate, identify, alert, signal distress, etc

   2. the device producing such a blaze

4. a spreading shape or anything with a spreading shape

   a skirt with a flare

5. a sudden outburst, as of emotion

6. optics

   1. the unwanted light reaching the image region of an optical device by reflections inside the instrument, etc

   2. the fogged area formed on a negative by such reflections See also solar flare

7. astronomy short for solar flare

8. aeronautics the final transition phase of an aircraft landing, from the steady descent path to touchdown

9. an open flame used to burn off unwanted gas at an oil well

Other Word Forms

• outflare verb (used with object)
• unflared adjective
• flared adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flare¹

1540–50; original meaning: spread out, said of hair, a ship's sides, etc.; compare Old English flǣre either of the spreading sides at the end of the nose

Word History and Origins

Origin of flare¹

C16 (to spread out): of unknown origin

Example Sentences

This week tensions flared at a rally in London, the world of boxing paid tribute to Ricky Hatton, and cult show The Summer I Turned Pretty reached its climax.

From BBC

Ferrigan, the flag expert, wasn’t entirely surprised by the battles flaring up in municipalities across the American map.

From Los Angeles Times

The protest was largely peaceful on Saturday lunchtime but as the afternoon continued, tensions flared.

From BBC

Alvarez pushed Crawford as tempers flared at in New York in June, but the two shared a nod and handshake to end on a respectful note.

From BBC

Tensions between Athens and Cairo flared up after an Egyptian court ruled in May that St Catherine's - the world's oldest continuously used Christian monastery - lies on state land.

From BBC

Related Words

• blaze 
• boil over 
• break out 
• burn 
• explode 
• flash 
• flicker 
• glow 
• seethe