Definition

1. Noun:

   • A strong, bright flame: A blaze is a large, hot, and bright fire.
   • A very bright light or glare: A blaze can be a sudden, intense burst of light, like sunlight or a bright color.
   • A sudden, intense display or outburst: A blaze can refer to a sudden, strong expression of emotion or activity.
   • A white or light-colored mark: On an animal's face or a tree, a blaze is a prominent, light-colored stripe or mark used for identification or to mark a trail.

2. Verb:

   • To burn brightly and fiercely: To blaze means to burn with a strong, bright flame.
   • To shine with a very bright light: To blaze means to emit a very strong and dazzling light.
   • To shoot repeatedly and rapidly: To blaze away means to fire a gun many times in quick succession.
   • To move very quickly and brightly: To blaze can mean to move very fast, like a meteor or a spaceship, often leaving a bright trail.
   • To mark a trail: To blaze a trail means to mark trees with cuts (blazes) to show a path through a forest.

Examples

• Noun:

  • Firefighters worked all night to control the blaze. (A strong fire)
  • The blaze of the midday sun forced us to seek shade. (A very bright light)
  • He apologized in a blaze of remorse. (A sudden, intense display of emotion)
  • The hiker followed the blazes on the trees. (Marks on trees)

• Verb:

  • The logs blazed in the fireplace. (Burned brightly)
  • The stadium lights blazed down on the field. (Shone brightly)
  • The soldiers blazed away at the enemy position. (Shot rapidly)
  • The comet blazed across the night sky. (Moved quickly and brightly)
  • The explorer blazed a trail through the uncharted jungle. (Marked a path)

Advanced Usage

• "to blaze a trail": To be the first to do something new and show others how to do it.

  • She blazed a trail for women in the field of physics.

• "like blazes": (Informal) Very fast, hard, or intensely.

  • He ran like blazes to catch the bus.

• "go to blazes": (Informal, old-fashioned) An expression of anger telling someone to go away.

  • Oh, go to blazes! I don't want to hear it!

Variants and Related Words

• Blazing (adj): Extremely hot, bright, or intense.

  • It was a blazing hot day.

• Blazer (n): A type of jacket. (Note: This is a distinct word, not a direct variant of the verb/noun 'blaze').

Synonyms

• Noun (fire): Conflagration, inferno, fire.
• Noun (light): Glare, flash, brilliance.
• Verb (burn): Burn, flame, flare.
• Verb (shine): Shine, gleam, glow.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Blaze away: To shoot a gun continuously and rapidly.

  • The guards blazed away at the intruders.

• Blaze up: To suddenly start burning brightly or to suddenly become very angry.

  • The dry leaves blazed up in an instant. (Burning)
  • He blazed up when he heard the news. (Anger)

Related Idioms

• A blaze of glory: A final, brilliant, and often public success before the end of something.

  • The veteran actor retired in a blaze of glory.

• Blaze a trail: (See Advanced Usage above).

Noun

1. a light-colored marking
   • they chipped off bark to mark the trail with blazes
   • the horse had a blaze between its eyes
2. a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
   • a glare of sunlight
3. noisy and unrestrained mischief
   • raising blazes
4. a cause of difficulty and suffering
   • war is hell
   • go to blazes
5. a strong flame that burns brightly
   • the blaze spread rapidly

Verb

1. indicate by marking trees with blazes
   • blaze a trail
2. move rapidly and as if blazing
   • The spaceship blazed out into space
3. burn brightly and intensely
   • The summer sun alone can cause a pine to blaze
4. shoot rapidly and repeatedly
   • He blazed away at the men
5. shine brightly and intensively
   • Meteors blazed across the atmosphere