torch

¹ American  

[tawrch] / tɔrtʃ /

noun

torches plural

1. 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.

2. something considered as a source of illumination, enlightenment, guidance, etc..

   the torch of learning.

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

4. Slang. an arsonist.

5. Chiefly British. flashlight.

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verb (used without object)

1. to burn or flare up like a torch.

verb (used with object)

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

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

idioms

1. carry the / a torch for, to be in love with, especially to suffer from unrequited love for.

   He still carries a torch for his ex-wife.

torch ² American  

[tawrch] / tɔrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

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

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torch British  

/ tɔːtʃ /

noun

1. US and Canadian word: flashlight.  a small portable electric lamp powered by one or more dry batteries

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

3. anything regarded as a source of enlightenment, guidance, etc

   the torch of evangelism

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

5. to be in love with, esp unrequitedly

6. to set fire to; burn down

   the looted monastery was put to the torch

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verb

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

torch More Idioms  

1. see carry a torch; pass the torch.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• torchable
  adjective
• torchless
  adjective
• torchlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• torches
  plural

Etymology

Origin of torch¹

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

Origin of torch²

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 torch ¹

Explanation

A torch is a handheld light. Although flashlights are sometimes called "torches," technically a torch has a burning flame. Torch can also be used as a verb indicating that something has been purposely set on fire. For example, arsonists have been known to torch empty buildings just for fun. This meaning dates to 1931. The noun form of torch has been around a lot longer. In the late 13th century torch came into English from the Old French word torche, or "twisted thing," which was a piece of wax-dipped rope.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

torch torches

The Statue of Liberty, the copper-clad sculpture of a robed and crowned woman holding a torch above her head, sits in New York's harbor and draws millions of visitors each year.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Gareth Tilley bought a UV torch to try and find the caterpillars in May 2022.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

"As I look back up the mountain, as I helped this guy descend, Hillary Dawa didn't appear to have moved, and certainly wasn't descending, because we would have seen his head torch."

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Tools are scattered throughout the studio, including a plumber’s torch for melting glass, crockpots for pickling and a dental tool she uses to stamp her logo, VM, short for Verre Modern, onto her ceramics.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

They saw far beyond the lake a bobbing pinprick of light—a torch being carried along the drive—but they did not comment on it.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Instead of working with a massive furnace, participants use small torches, making the process feel more approachable and easier to control.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

A witty theater owner would match the mood by selling torches and pitchforks at the concession stand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

Still, it seems the villagers have put down their torches and pitchforks for now.

From Barron's ● Feb. 6, 2026

Finally, two Olympic torches were lit two Olympic cauldrons, in Milan and Cortina, their flames at the center of shape-shifting spheres.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

There were no electric lamps on the walls but plenty of torches for the taking.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• beacon
• lamp
• lantern