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

Before the torch is lit in Los Angeles in 2028, make sure to consult Slate’s list of every Olympic event, ranked from worst to best, compiled by Mike Canter.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

The flat, he said, was in darkness and that he had entered using a torch.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

He said he opened the door a few inches and with the aid of his torch he saw Laura Marshall in the bath face down.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Fifteen years later, Cook passed the torch last month to John Ternus, who inherited a company now valued at nearly $5 trillion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

I start along Buckingham Road with my torch pointed down, as they’ve instructed us to do.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Those torches, set within a spinning head, soon quieten down as they produce a stream of super-heated plasma reaching 27,000C - significantly hotter than the surface of the Sun.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

Serhiy Motsak, a shift director at one of Ukraine’s thermal-power plants, spent this past winter knocking ice from the equipment and сarrying around torches to heat it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

Battalion members prepared the drones in pitch dark, illuminated only by red torches.

From Barron's ● May 17, 2026

A bit farther in, torches flickered on the cave walls, creating what would have been an eerie effect if it hadn’t been so transparently designed to be.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• beacon
• lamp
• lantern