Definition

1. Noun:
   • A colored flare used as a warning signal by trucks and trains: A fusee is a type of safety flare that burns with a bright colored light, used to warn of a stopped vehicle or hazard on or near railroad tracks or roads.
   • A friction match with a large head that will stay alight in the wind: A fusee is a large, windproof match historically used for lighting cigars or in outdoor conditions.
   • A spirally grooved spindle in a clock that counteracts the diminishing power of the uncoiling mainspring: In horology, a fusee is a cone-shaped pulley with a spiral groove, used in spring-driven clocks and watches to equalize the driving force as the mainspring unwinds.
   • Any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant: (Technical/Historical) A fusee can refer to a device, such as a fuse or primer, used to ignite the propellant in a firearm or firework.

Usage Examples

• As a warning signal:
  • The train crew placed a red fusee on the tracks to warn the following train of the obstruction.
  • The truck driver lit a fusee when he pulled over on the dark highway.
• As a windproof match:
  • The explorer used a fusee to light his pipe in the strong wind.
• In clockmaking:
  • The antique pocket watch contains a fusee to ensure consistent timekeeping.
• As an igniter:
  • The historical cannon required a fusee to fire.

Advanced Usage

• "Fusee chain": In clockmaking, the fine chain that connects the fusee to the mainspring barrel.
  • Repairing the broken fusee chain requires great precision.
• "Railroad fusee": Specifically denotes the warning flare used in railway operations.
  • Regulations require crews to carry railroad fusees for emergency signaling.

Variants and Related Words

• Fuzee: An alternative, less common spelling for .
• Fuse (noun/verb): While distinct, shares a common etymological root related to ignition or melting. A is a safety device or a cord for igniting explosives, whereas a is a specific type of flare, match, or clock component.

Synonyms

• Flare: (for the warning signal sense) A device that produces a bright light or smoke.
• Windproof match: (for the match sense)
• Equalizing pulley: (for the clock component sense)

Related Phrases

• To light a fusee: The act of igniting a fusee flare or match.
  • He had to light a fusee to mark the hazard.
• Fusee movement: A term describing a clock or watch mechanism that incorporates a fusee.
  • Collectors value watches with a fusee movement for their craftsmanship.

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms that centrally feature the word "fusee." Its usage is primarily technical and specific.)

Noun

1. any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant
2. a friction match with a large head that will stay alight in the wind
3. a colored flare used as a warning signal by trucks and trains
4. a spirally grooved spindle in a clock that counteracts the diminishing power of the uncoiling mainspring