torchbearer

[ tawrch-bair-er ]

/ ˈtɔrtʃˌbɛər ər /

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noun

a person who carries a torch.

a leader in a movement, campaign, etc.: a torchbearer of democracy.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of torchbearer

First recorded in 1530–40; torch¹ + bearer

Words nearby torchbearer

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use torchbearer in a sentence

Two decades into the reign of reality TV, and with all due respect to Jack and Liz, it’s a pleasure to see some of the genre’s torchbearers do more than the minimum.
FBoy Island and Sexy Beasts Represent the Best and Worst of 2021's Trashy Summer Dating Shows|Judy Berman|July 23, 2021|Time
She says a close friend of his, chosen to be a torchbearer, was among those verbally abused.
Will Japan's Low Immunization Rate Pose a Problem for the Olympics?|Charlie Campbell / Shanghai|April 20, 2021|Time
She believes that these cultural torchbearers can play a role in pandemic recovery — both economically and psychologically — but only if they receive the needed financial support.
Could GoFundMe campaigns save our cultural collections? Las Vegas’s Pinball Hall of Fame is banking on it.|Kate Silver|February 26, 2021|Washington Post
During the two weeks before running, torchbearers are being asked to refrain from anything that might expose them to the virus, such as eating out or going to crowded places.
Shhh: No cheering or shouting at Tokyo Olympic torch relay. But clapping allowed.|Simon Denyer|February 25, 2021|Washington Post

Organizers said they had asked torchbearers not to reveal their running slots in case crowds turn up to see them.
Shhh: No cheering or shouting at Tokyo Olympic torch relay. But clapping allowed.|Simon Denyer|February 25, 2021|Washington Post
He was also, in his own unique way, a torchbearer for racial equality.
‘No No,’ a Documentary on MLB Pitcher Dock Ellis, Who Pitched a No-Hitter While Tripping on Acid|Marlow Stern|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was his inner core that made him a torchbearer of ideals.
Robert Shrum on Friend George McGovern, the Prophet Politician|Robert Shrum|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He gathered up the tools of his trade, and motioned to his torchbearer to go before.
To Have and To Hold|Mary Johnston
The crier and torchbearer were important functionaries at the celebration of the Eleusinian mysteries.
The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, Vol. 1 (of 4)|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for torchbearer

torchbearer

/ (ˈtɔːtʃˌbɛərə) /

noun

a person or thing that carries a torch

a person who leads or inspires

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