watch fire
Definition
- Noun:
- A fire lighted at night as a signal: A "watch fire" is a fire that is kept burning during the night, historically used to serve as a signal, a warning, or to provide light and warmth for sentries or guards on duty.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The soldiers kept a watch fire burning on the hill to warn of any approaching danger.
- In the ancient story, a line of watch fires along the coast signaled the arrival of the fleet.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Military Context: The term is primarily used in historical, literary, or military contexts to describe a fire used for sentinel duty or long-distance communication before modern technology.
- The novel described the lonely vigil of the scout, his only companion the flickering light of the watch fire.
Variants and Related Words
- Watchfire (noun): An alternative, often hyphenated or compounded spelling (watch-fire, watchfire) with the same meaning.
- Beacon (noun): A fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration. (A more general term; a watch fire is a type of beacon.)
- Signal fire (noun): A fire made specifically to send a message. (This is a close synonym for "watch fire".)
Synonyms
- Signal fire: A fire used to convey a message.
- Beacon: A fire or light used as a signal.
- Warning fire: A fire lit to indicate danger.
Related Phrases
- To keep watch by the fire: This phrase describes the action of guarding or observing from a position near a fire, often implied with a watch fire.
- The rangers kept watch by the fire throughout the cold night.
Related Idioms
- (To be) a watch in the night: This poetic idiom evokes the image of a solitary light or fire (like a watch fire) during darkness, symbolizing vigilance or hope. While not containing the exact phrase "watch fire," it is conceptually related.
- His kindness was a watch in the night for those in despair.
Noun
-
a fire lighted at night as a signal
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