flame

—flamer, n. —flameless, adj. —flamelike, adj.

/flaym/, n., v., flamed, flaming.

n.

1. burning gas or vapor, as from wood or coal, that is undergoing combustion; a portion of ignited gas or vapor.

2. Often, flames. the state or condition of blazing combustion: to burst into flames.

3. any flamelike condition; glow; inflamed condition.

4. brilliant light; scintillating luster.

5. bright coloring; a streak or patch of color.

6. See flame color.

7. intense ardor, zeal, or passion.

8. Informal. an object of one's passionate love; sweetheart: He's taking out his new flame tonight.

9. Computer Slang. an act or instance of angry criticism or disparagement, esp. on a computer network.

v.i.

10. to burn with a flame or flames; burst into flames; blaze.

11. to glow like flame; shine brilliantly; flash.

12. to burn or burst forth with strong emotion; break into open anger, indignation, etc.

13. Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily, esp. on a computer network.

v.t.

14. to subject to the action of flame or fire.

15. to flambé.

16. Computer Slang. to insult or criticize angrily, esp. on a computer network.

17. flame out,

a. (of a jet engine) to cease to function due to an interruption of the fuel supply or to faulty combustion.

b. to burst out in or as if in flames.

[1300-50; (n.) ME flaume < AF, var. of flaumbe; OF flambe, earlier flamble < L flammula, dim. of flamma flame (see -ULE); (v.) ME flaumen < AF flaum(b)er; OF flamber < L flammare, deriv. of flamma]

Syn. 1. fire. FLAME, BLAZE, CONFLAGRATION refer to the light and heat given off by combustion. FLAME is the common word, referring to a combustion of any size: the light of a match flame. BLAZE usually denotes a quick, hot, bright, and comparatively large flame: The fire burst into a blaze. CONFLAGRATION refers to destructive flames which spread over a considerable area: A conflagration destroyed Chicago.

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      rapidly reacting body of gas, commonly a mixture of air and a combustible gas, that gives off heat and, usually, light and is self-propagating. Flame propagation is explained by two theories: heat conduction and diffusion. In heat conduction, heat flows from the flame front, the area in a flame in which combustion occurs, to the inner cone, the area containing the unburned mixture of fuel and air. When the unburned mixture is heated to its ignition temperature, it combusts in the flame front, and heat from that reaction again flows to the inner cone, thus creating a cycle of self-propagation. In diffusion, a similar cycle begins when reactive molecules produced in the flame front diffuse into the inner cone and ignite the mixture. A mixture can support a flame only above some minimum and below some maximum percentage of fuel gas. These percentages are called the lower and upper limits of inflammability. Mixtures of natural gas and air, for example, will not propagate flame if the proportion of gas is less than about 4 percent or more than about 15 percent.

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