/ bleɪz; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] to burn brightly and strongly :
A huge fire was blazing in the fireplace.
Within minutes the whole building was blazing.
He rushed back into the blazing house.
2.
[ v ] to shine brightly :
The sun blazed down from a clear blue sky.
The garden blazed with colour.
3.
[ v ] blaze (with sth) ( formal ) if sb's eyes blaze , they look extremely angry :
Her eyes were blazing with fury.
4.
(also blazon ) [ vn ] [ usually passive ] blaze sth (across / all over sth) to make news or information widely known by telling people about it in a way they are sure to notice :
The story was blazed all over the daily papers.
5.
blaze (away) if a gun or sb using a gun blazes , the gun fires continuously :
In the distance machine guns were blazing.
•
IDIOMS
- blaze a trail
—more at gun noun
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- blaze up
■ noun
1.
[ C ] (used especially in newspapers) a very large fire, especially a dangerous one :
Five people died in the blaze.
2.
[ sing. ] strong bright flames in a fire :
Dry wood makes a good blaze.
3.
[ sing. ] a ~ of sth a very bright show of lights or colour; an impressive or noticeable show of sth :
The gardens are a blaze of colour.
a blaze of lights in the city centre
the bright blaze of the sun
a blaze of glory
They got married in a blaze of publicity.
4.
[ sing. ] (a) ~ of sth a sudden show of very strong feeling :
a blaze of anger / passion / hate
5.
[ C , usually sing. ] a white mark on an animal's face
•
IDIOMS
- what / where / who the blazes ... ?
- like blazes
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb senses 1 to 3 and verb sense 5 noun senses 1 to 4 Old English blæse torch, bright fire , of Germanic origin; related ultimately to blaze white spot or stripe on an animal's face .
noun sense 5 mid 17th cent.: ultimately of Germanic origin; related to German Blässe blaze and blass pale, also to blaze (in its fire sense), and probably to blemish .
verb sense 4 late Middle English (in the sense blow out on a trumpet ): from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch blāzen to blow; related to the verb blow .