flare

[ flair ]

/ flɛər /

verb (used without object), flared, flar·ing.

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

to blaze with a sudden burst of flame (often followed by up): The fire flared up as the paper caught.

to start up or burst out in sudden, fierce intensity or activity (often followed by up): His stomach problems have flared up.

to become suddenly enraged; express sudden, fierce anger or passion (usually followed by up or out): I’m not a person who flares easily. She sometimes flares out at the kids.

to shine or glow.

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, flar·ing.

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

to display conspicuously or ostentatiously.

to signal by flares of fire or light.

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

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

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

noun

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

a sudden blaze or burst of flame.

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

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

a sudden burst, as of zeal or of anger.

a gradual spread outward in form; outward curvature: the flare of a skirt.

something that spreads out.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Origin of flare

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

SYNONYMS FOR flare

1 flame.

2 erupt, explode, flash, blaze, flame.

14 flash.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR flare ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM flare

out·flare, verb (used with object), out·flared, out·flar·ing. un·flared, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flare

flair flare

Words nearby flare

flapper, flappers, flapping tremor, flappy, flaps, flare, flare path, flare star, flare up, flare-up, flareback

Example sentences from the Web for flare-up

Fluke being thrust in front of the world only stoked the flare-up that one student said “has in no way been resolved.”

Some Georgetown Students Back Sandra Fluke in Limbaugh Flap, Others Feel Muzzled |Allison Yarrow |March 6, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Sure, he broke off his holiday in Italy to take command in Downing Street almost within 48 hours of the first flare-up.

Cameron Gets Tough |William Underhill |August 10, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
The flare-up between the U.S. and Israel is sorely testing relations between the two countries.

The Religious Right's 10 Favorite Candidates |Samuel P. Jacobs |March 17, 2010 |DAILY BEAST
He told me afterwards that he had been fearing a flare-up for some minutes, but had hoped it would pass over.

Men, Women and Guns |H. C. (Herman Cyril) McNeile

“I came back on the first news of your flare-up,” said the newcomer.

The Three Brides |Charlotte M. Yonge
Nobody wanted them, nobody cared; this sodden beast in the flare-up of his consciousness wished to be quit of them.

Selected Works of Voltairine de Cleyre |Voltairine de Cleyre
The fall of the curtain and the flare-up of the lights seemed to have blotted out an illusion.

The Gray Phantom |Herman Landon
Real property of that 57 sort was still dull and inactive except for a flare-up now and then along Park Avenue and Fifth.

The Crimson Tide |Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (1 of 2)

flare-up

noun

a sudden burst of fire or light

informal a sudden burst of emotion or violence

verb flare up (intr, adverb)

to burst suddenly into fire or light

informal to burst into anger

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (2 of 2)

flare

/ (flɛə) /

verb

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

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

(tr) to make a conspicuous display of

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

(tr sometimes foll by off) (in the oil industry) to burn off (unwanted gas) at an oil well

noun

an unsteady flame

a sudden burst of flame

a blaze of light or fire used to illuminate, identify, alert, signal distress, etc
the device producing such a blaze

a spreading shape or anything with a spreading shape a skirt with a flare

a sudden outburst, as of emotion

optics

the unwanted light reaching the image region of an optical device by reflections inside the instrument, etc
the fogged area formed on a negative by such reflectionsSee also solar flare

astronomy short for solar flare

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

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

Derived forms of flare

flared, adjective

Word Origin for flare

C16 (to spread out): of unknown origin

Medical definitions for flare-up

flare

[ flâr ]

n.

An area of redness on the skin surrounding the primary site of infection or irritation.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flare

verb (used without object), flared, flar·ing.

verb (used with object), flared, flar·ing.

noun

Origin of flare

SYNONYMS FOR flare

OTHER WORDS FROM flare

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flare

Words nearby flare

Example sentences from the Web for flare-up

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (1 of 2)

noun

verb flare up (intr, adverb)

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of flare

Word Origin for flare

Medical definitions for flare-up

n.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

flare

verb (used without object), flared, flar·ing.

verb (used with object), flared, flar·ing.

noun

Origin of flare

SYNONYMS FOR flare

OTHER WORDS FROM flare

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flare

Words nearby flare

Words related to flare-up

Example sentences from the Web for flare-up

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (1 of 2)

noun

verb flare up (intr, adverb)

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of flare

Word Origin for flare

Medical definitions for flare-up

n.

British Dictionary definitions for flare-up (1 of 2)