flame

Meanings

Noun

• The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat.
• A romantic partner or lover in a usually short-lived but passionate affair.
• An aggressively insulting criticism or remark.
• A brilliant reddish orange-gold fiery colour.
• The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the curl.
• Burning zeal, passion, imagination, excitement, or anger.

Verb

• To produce flames; to burn with a flame or blaze.
• To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardour.
• To post a destructively critical or abusive message (to somebody).

Adjective

• Of a brilliant reddish orange-gold colour, like that of a flame.

Origin

• From Middle English flawme, flaume, flaumbe, blend of Old French flame and flambe, flamble, the first from Latin flamma, the second from Latin flammula, diminutive of flamma, both from pre-Latin *fladma; Proto-Italic *flagmā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ("to shimmer, gleam, shine").