Definition

Noun: 1. A type of igniter: A device used to start the burning of a propellant, such as in a firearm or firework. 2. A type of match: A friction match with a large, wind-resistant head designed to stay lit in windy conditions. 3. A warning flare: A colored flare used as a warning signal, especially by trucks and trains.

Usage Examples

• As an igniter:
  • The old musket required a fuzee to light the gunpowder.
  • He carefully lit the fuzee attached to the rocket.
• As a match:
  • The sailor struck a fuzee to light his pipe on the windy deck.
  • Before modern lighters, explorers often carried fuzees for reliability.
• As a warning flare:
  • The stranded truck driver placed a red fuzee on the road behind his vehicle.
  • Fuzee flares are part of the standard safety kit for trains.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily historical or technical. In modern contexts, more specific terms like "safety flare," "fusee match," or "igniter cord" are often used.
• In horology (clockmaking), a fusee (same pronunciation, different spelling) is a cone-shaped pulley used to equalize the mainspring's force in a clock or watch. This is a distinct, unrelated word.

Variants and Related Words

• Fusee (noun): An alternative, and now more common, spelling for the match and flare meanings.
• Fuse (noun): A length of material designed to burn at a steady rate to ignite an explosive. While related in function (ignition), a "fuse" is typically a cord, whereas a "fuzee/fusee" is often a match or flare.
• Igniter (noun): A general term for any device used to start combustion.
• Flare (noun): A broader term for a device that produces a bright light or flame as a signal.

Synonyms

• For the match: windproof match, safety match.
• For the flare: signal flare, warning flare, road flare.
• For the igniter: primer, ignitor, touchpaper.

Notes on Meaning

The three definitions are connected by the core concept of a device that initiates or provides fire, but for specific, often outdoor or hazardous, purposes. The first two definitions (igniter for propellant, windproof match) are closely related. The third (warning flare) shares the characteristic of being a pyrotechnic signal device.

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