flame
flame
noun
/fleɪm/
1 countable, uncountable a hot bright stream of burning gas that comes from something that is on fire
the tiny yellow flame of a match
The room was filled with smoke and flames.
to douse/extinguish the flames
in flames The building was in flames (= was burning).
The plane burst into flame(s) (= suddenly began burning strongly).
Everything went up in flames (= was destroyed by fire).
Heat the olive oil over a moderate flame (= on a gas cooker/stove).
The curtains were enveloped in a sheet of flame.
(British English) Never smoke or use spray paint near a naked flame.
(North American English) an open flame
Collocations
adjective
blazing
burning
crackling
verb + flames
be engulfed in
go up in
burst into
flames + verb
roar
die down
spread…
preposition
in flames
2 ​uncountable a bright red or orange colour
a flame-red car
3 ​countable (literary) a very strong feeling
His childhood interest in the game had ignited a flame of passion for football.
SEE ALSO old flame
4 ​countable (informal) an angry or offensive message sent to somebody by email or on the internet, typically in quick response to another message
TOPICS Phones, email and the internet C2
Idioms
fan the flames
flame
verb
/fleɪm/
1 ​intransitive (+ adj.) (literary) to burn with a bright flame
The logs flamed on the hearth.
(figurative) Hope flamed in her.
2 ​intransitive, transitive (+ adj.) | flame (something) (literary) (of a person’s face) to become red as a result of a strong emotion; to make something become red
Her cheeks flamed with rage.
​3 transitive flame somebody (informal) to send somebody an angry or offensive message by email or on the internet
TOPICS Phones, email and the internet C2
Word Origin
Middle English: from Old French flame (noun), flamer (verb), from Latin flamma ‘a flame’.