Definition and meaning of blaze

BlazeBlaze (blāz), n. [OE. blase, AS. blæse, blase; akin to OHG. blass whitish, G. blass pale, MHG. blas torch, Icel. blys torch; perh. fr. the same root as E. blast. Cf. Blast, Blush, Blink.]
1. A stream of gas or vapor emitting light and heat in the process of combustion; a bright flame. “To heaven the blaze uprolled.” Croly.

2. Intense, direct light accompanied with heat; as, to seek shelter from the blaze of the sun.

O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon! Milton.

3. A bursting out, or active display of any quality; an outburst; a brilliant display. “Fierce blaze of riot.” “His blaze of wrath.” Shak.

For what is glory but the blaze of fame? Milton.

4. [Cf. D. bles; akin to E. blaze light.] A white spot on the forehead of a horse.

5. A spot made on trees by chipping off a piece of the bark, usually as a surveyor's mark.

Three blazes in a perpendicular line on the same tree indicating a legislative road, the single blaze a settlement or neighborhood road. Carlton.

In a blaze, on fire; burning with a flame; filled with, giving, or reflecting light; excited or exasperated. -- Like blazes, furiously; rapidly. [Low] “The horses did along like blazes tear.” Poem in Essex dialect.

☞ In low language in the U. S., blazes is frequently used of something extreme or excessive, especially of something very bad; as, blue as blazes. Neal.

Syn. -- Blaze, Flame. A blaze and a flame are both produced by burning gas. In blaze the idea of light rapidly evolved is prominent, with or without heat; as, the blaze of the sun or of a meteor. Flame includes a stronger notion of heat; as, he perished in the flames.

BlazeBlaze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Blazed (�); p. pr. & vb. n. Blazing.]
1. To shine with flame; to glow with flame; as, the fire blazes.

2. To send forth or reflect glowing or brilliant light; to show a blaze.

And far and wide the icy summit blazed. Wordsworth.

3. To be resplendent. Macaulay.

To blaze away, to discharge a firearm, or to continue firing; -- said esp. of a number of persons, as a line of soldiers. Also used (fig.) of speech or action. [Colloq.]

BlazeBlaze, v. t.
1. To mark (a tree) by chipping off a piece of the bark.

I found my way by the blazed trees. Hoffman.

2. To designate by blazing; to mark out, as by blazed trees; as, to blaze a line or path.

Champollion died in 1832, having done little more than blaze out the road to be traveled by others. Nott.

BlazeBlaze, v. t. [OE. blasen to blow; perh. confused with blast and blaze a flame, OE. blase. Cf. Blaze, v. i., and see Blast.]
1. To make public far and wide; to make known; to render conspicuous.

On charitable lists he blazed his name. Pollok.

To blaze those virtues which the good would hide. Pope.

2. (Her.) To blazon. [Obs.] Peacham.