blaze

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: an intensely burning fire
b
: intense direct light often accompanied by heat
the blaze of TV lights
c
: an active burning
especially : a sudden bursting forth of flame
2
: something that resembles the blaze of a fire: such as
a
: a dazzling display
a blaze of color
b
: a sudden outburst
a blaze of fury
went down in a blaze of glory
c
blazes plural : hell
go to blazes
as hot as blazes

blaze

2 of 5

verb (1)

blazed; blazing

intransitive verb

1
a
: to burn brightly
the sun blazed overhead
b
: to flare up : flame
inflation blazed up
2
: to be conspicuously brilliant or resplendent
fields blazing with flowers
3
: to shoot rapidly and repeatedly
usually used with away
4
: to proceed extremely rapidly : blast
blazing down the highway

blaze

3 of 5

verb (2)

blazed; blazing

transitive verb

: to make public or conspicuous

blaze

4 of 5

noun (2)

1
a
: a usually white stripe down the center of the face of an animal
b
: a white or gray streak in the hair of the head
2
: a trail marker
especially : a mark made on a tree by chipping off a piece of the bark

blaze

5 of 5

verb (3)

blazed; blazing

transitive verb

1
: to mark (a trail) with blazes (see blaze entry 4 sense 2)
2
: to lead in some direction or activity
blaze new trails in education

Examples of blaze in a Sentence

Noun (1) she felt a blaze of resentment upon hearing that she had been passed over for promotion temporarily blinded by the blaze of dozens of camera lights Verb (1) the house blazed for over three hours in the late-night fire the spotlight blazed through my window an extreme skier went blazing down the ski slope at a reckless pace Verb (2) the White House didn't waste a minute in blazing the lower unemployment figures
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Firefighters arrived to find a fire blazing on the second floor of the two-story structure, sending a red glow and smoke into the night sky. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Oct. 2024 With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from Cordae’s blazing new track to Elijah Blake and Sevyn Streeter’s smoldering duet. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2024
Noun
Looking at the volume of fire retardants dropped on blazes across the U.S. from 2009 to 2021, the researchers determined that the amounts of metals varied from year to year but generally rose over time. Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024 All fire personnel in the county responded to the blaze and prevented it from spreading into neighboring Payne County. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blaze 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English blase, from Old English blæse torch; probably akin to Old English bǣl fire — more at bald

Verb (2)

Middle English blasen, from Middle Dutch blāsen to blow; akin to Old High German blāst blast

Noun (2)

perhaps from Dutch or Low German bles; akin to Old Norse blesi white stripe on an animal and probably to Old English blæse torch

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

1541, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1639, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (3)

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blaze was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near blaze

Cite this Entry

“Blaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blaze. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

blaze

1 of 5 noun
1
: a very strongly burning fire
2
: very bright direct light often accompanied by heat
the blaze of TV lights
3
: a sudden outburst
a blaze of flame
a blaze of fury
4
: a dazzling display
a blaze of autumn leaves

blaze

2 of 5 verb
blazed; blazing
1
a
: to burn brightly
b
: to flare up : flame
2
: to be noticeably brilliant
fields blazing with flowers
3
: to shoot rapidly and repeatedly

blaze

3 of 5 verb
blazed; blazing
: to make public : proclaim
blaze the news

blaze

4 of 5 noun
1
: a long white mark down the center of the face of an animal
2
: a mark made on a tree usually to leave a trail

blaze

5 of 5 verb
blazed; blazing
: to mark with blazes
blaze a trail
Etymology

Noun

Old English blæse "torch"

Verb

Middle English blasen "to make public," from early Dutch blāsen "to blow"

Noun

perhaps from Dutch or Low German bles "a white mark on an animal"

Medical Definition

blaze

noun
: a white or gray streak in the hair of the head

More from Merriam-Webster on blaze

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!