torch

[ tawrch ]

/ tɔrtʃ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: torch / torched / torching on Thesaurus.com

noun

a light to be carried in the hand, consisting of some combustible substance, as resinous wood, or of twisted flax or the like soaked with tallow or other flammable substance, ignited at the upper end.

something considered as a source of illumination, enlightenment, guidance, etc.: the torch of learning.

any of various lamplike devices that produce a hot flame and are used for soldering, burning off paint, etc.

Slang. an arsonist.

Chiefly British. flashlight (def. 1).

verb (used without object)

to burn or flare up like a torch.

verb (used with object)

to subject to the flame or light of a torch, as in order to burn, sear, solder, or illuminate.

Slang. to set fire to maliciously, especially in order to collect insurance.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about torch

carry the / a torch for, Slang. to be in love with, especially to suffer from unrequited love for: He still carries a torch for his ex-wife.

Origin of torch

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun torch(e), from Old French torche, torque, from Vulgar Latin torca (unattested) “something twisted”; see origin at torque

OTHER WORDS FROM torch

torch·a·ble, adjectivetorchless, adjectivetorchlike, adjective

Words nearby torch

toran, torbanite, Torbay, torbernite, torc, torch, torchbearer, torchère, torchier, torchiere, torchlight

Other definitions for torch (2 of 2)

torch²

[ tawrch ]

/ tɔrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

Masonry. to point (the joints between roofing slates) with a mixture of lime and hair.

Origin of torch

First recorded in 1850–60; from French torcher “to plaster with a mixture of clay and chopped straw,” derivative of torche “a twist of straw”; see also torch¹

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

How to use torch in a sentence

He also cited contracts and connections with the University of Houston and the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, known as TORCH.
The COVID-19 Charmer: How a Self-Described Felon Convinced Elected Officials to Try to Help Him Profit From the Pandemic|by Vianna Davila, Jeremy Schwartz and Lexi Churchill|September 25, 2020|ProPublica
She’s tired, and maybe we should pick up the torch a little.
Erin Brockovich has given up on the federal government saving the environment|Nicole Goodkind|September 25, 2020|Fortune
As Samek wrote in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, “Runners literally and figuratively passed the torch from one era in feminist history to another.”
Behind the Scenes of a New Kind of Feminist Relay Race|Christine Yu|September 22, 2020|Outside Online
I mean, they torch up small trees and they do burn into crowns in certain areas if there’s a steep slope or strong or if it’s a really hot fire.
What the Photos of Wildfires and Smoke Don’t Show You|by Elizabeth Weil and Lisa Larson-Walker|September 21, 2020|ProPublica

They often feature multiple brightness levels and strobe functions for emergencies, as well as memory technology that recalls previous settings when the torch is turned on.
Flashlights for emergency scenarios and outdoor fun|PopSci Commerce Team|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science
Even the track, a mesmerizing torch song called “Before I Ever Met You,” was only available via an obscure SoundCloud link.
The Mesmerizing Mystique of BANKS|Melissa Leon|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do you remember the first time you were on set in costume as The Human Torch, and what that feeling was like?
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By the end of 1960, close to 100,000 disobedients had taken up the Civil Rights torch.
Is There a Ma Joad for the Piketty Era?|Katie Baker|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The bras are made of duct tape that has been burned with a blow torch,” Mirano told The Daily Beast.
Deconstructing Lady Gaga's 5 Bras in "Applause"|Erin Cunningham|August 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When Jean led me back to my tent, he swept the grass repeatedly with the beam of his powerful torch.
Walking With Wildebeests: Exploring the Serengeti on Foot|Joanna Eede|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Truth is a torch, but one of enormous size; so that we slink past it in rather a blinking fashion for fear it should burn us.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
The moment he passed out of her sight some phase of individuality promptly lit its torch.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
It was ajar, and Kerry, taking an electric torch from his overall pocket, flashed the light upon the name-plate.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Och, be gorry, it was nuthin' mor'n a big nager fellow holdin a torch for us to eat by.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Kneeling down, he peered into the keyhole, holding the electric torch close beside his face and chewing industriously.
Dope|Sax Rohmer

British Dictionary definitions for torch

torch

/ (tɔːtʃ) /

noun

a small portable electric lamp powered by one or more dry batteriesUS and Canadian word: flashlight

a wooden or tow shaft dipped in wax or tallow and set alight

anything regarded as a source of enlightenment, guidance, etcthe torch of evangelism

any apparatus that burns with a hot flame for welding, brazing, or soldering

carry a torch for to be in love with, esp unrequitedly

put to the torch to set fire to; burn downthe looted monastery was put to the torch

verb

(tr) slang to set fire to, esp deliberately as an act of arson

Derived forms of torch

torchlike, adjective

Word Origin for torch

C13: from Old French torche handful of twisted straw, from Vulgar Latin torca (unattested), from Latin torquēre to twist

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with torch

torch

see carry a torch; pass the torch.

torch

Idioms about torch

Origin of torch

OTHER WORDS FROM torch

Words nearby torch

Other definitions for torch (2 of 2)

Origin of torch

Words related to torch

How to use torch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for torch

Derived forms of torch

Word Origin for torch

Other Idioms and Phrases with torch