flame

See also: Flamme, Flame, and flamé

English

Etymology

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; ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlē- (“to shimmer, gleam, shine”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: flām, IPA^(key): /fleɪm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪm

Noun

flame (countable and uncountable, plural flames)

1. The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat.
   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter III, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     Long after his cigar burnt bitter, he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth […].

   • 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:

     Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.

2. A romantic partner or lover in a usually short-lived but passionate affair.
   • 1844, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Luck of Barry Lyndon

     I could copy out yards of rhapsody to Lord George Poynings, her old flame, in which she addressed him by the most affectionate names.

3. (Internet) Intentionally insulting criticism or remark meant to incite anger.
4. A brilliant reddish orange-gold fiery colour.
   flame:  
5. (music, chiefly lutherie) The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the curl.

   The cello has a two-piece back with a beautiful narrow flame.

6. Burning zeal, passion, imagination, excitement, or anger.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 5”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     in a flame of zeal severe

   • 1717, Alexander Pope, Eloisa to Abelard:

     where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic glow

   • 1834, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Julia"

     Till charming Florio, born to conquer, came
     And touch'd the fair one with an equal flame

Derived terms

Terms derived from the noun flame

• aflame
• flame-arc lamp
• flame bait
• flame carbon
• flame cell
• flame gun
• flameless
• flame nettle
• flame of the forest
• flame-out, flameout
• flameproof

• flame-retardant
• flame spread
• flame test
• flame-thrower
• flame tree
• flame war
• go up in flames
• inflame
• old flame
• Taiwan flamecrest

Related terms

Terms related to the noun flame

• flamboyant
• flamingo
• flammable
• oriflamme

• phlegm
• phlogiston
• phlogopite
• phlox

Translations

visible part of fire

• Afrikaans: vlam
• Albanian: flakë (sq) f
• Arabic: لَهَب‎ m (lahab), شُعْلَة‎ f (šuʿla)
• Aragonese: flama
• Armenian: բոց (hy) (bocʿ), հուր (hy) (hur)
• Aromanian: fleamã f, pirã f
• Asturian: llama (ast) f
• Azerbaijani: alov (az)
• Bashkir: ялҡын (yalqïn)
• Basque: kar (eu), gar (eu), sugar
• Belarusian: по́лымя n (pólymja)
• Bengali: শিখা (śikha), জ্বালা (jbala)
• Breton: flamm (br) m
• Bulgarian: пла́мък (bg) m (plámǎk)
• Burmese: တန်ဆောင် (my) (tanhcaung)
• Catalan: flama (ca) f
• Chichewa: lawi
• Chinese:

  Dungan: хуәщир (huəxir)

  Mandarin: 火焰 (zh) (huǒyàn)

• Czech: plamen (cs) m
• Danish: flamme (da) c, lue c
• Dutch: vlam (nl) f, laai (nl) f
• Egyptian: (tkꜣw)
• Esperanto: flamo (eo)
• Estonian: leek (et)
• Extremaduran: flama f
• Finnish: liekki (fi)
• French: flamme (fr) f

  Old French: flamme f

• Friulian: flame f
• Galician: chama (gl) f
• Georgian: ალი (ka) (ali)
• German: Flamme (de) f, Lohe (de) f
• Greek: φλόγα (el) f (flóga)

  Ancient: φλόξ f (phlóx)

• Guaraní: tatarendy
• Haitian Creole: flanm
• Hebrew: לֶהָבָה‎ (he) f (lehavá), אֵשׁ‎ (he) f (esh)
• Hindi: लौ (hi) f (lau), ज्वाला (hi) f (jvālā), शोला (hi) m (śolā), लपट (hi) f (lapaṭ)
• Hungarian: láng (hu)
• Icelandic: logi (is) m
• Indonesian: nyala (id)
• Interlingua: flamma
• Irish: lasair (ga) f
• Italian: fiamma (it) f
• Japanese: 炎 (ja) (ほのお, honō), 火炎 (ja) (かえん, kaen)
• Kazakh: жалын (kk) (jalın)
• Khmer: សិខិន (km) (sekhən), សុស្ម័ន (km) (sohsman)
• Korean: 불꽃 (ko) (bulkkot), 불길 (ko) (bulgil)
• Kyrgyz: жалын (ky) (calın)
• Lao: ຊະວາລະ (sa wā la), ແປວໄຟ (pǣu fai)
• Latgalian: līsme
• Latin: flamma f
• Latvian: liesma f, guns f (poetism)
• Lithuanian: liepsna (lt) f
• Macedonian: пламен m (plamen)

• Malagasy: lelàfo (mg)
• Malay: api (ms), nyala
• Maltese: fjamma f
• Maori: mura
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: дөл (mn) (döl)

  Uyghurjin: ᠳᠥᠯᠦ (dölü)

• Nahuatl: cuezaltol
• Navajo: kǫʼ
• Nogai: ялын (yalın)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: flamme (no), lue (no)

  Nynorsk: flamme, lue

• Occitan: flamba (oc) f
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: пламꙑ m (plamy)

• Old English: līeġ m
• Old French: flamme f
• Old Japanese: 炎 (ほのほ, pono₂po)
• Persian: شعله‎ (fa) (šo'le), علو‎ (fa) ('alav)
• Plautdietsch: Flaum f
• Polish: płomień (pl) m
• Portuguese: chama (pt) f, flama (pt) f
• Romanian: flacără (ro) f, pară (ro) f, văpaie (ro) f
• Russian: пла́мя (ru) n (plámja), (dated, poetic) по́лы́мя (ru) n (pólýmja), (poetic) пла́мень (ru) m (plámenʹ)
• Sardinian: fiama f, fiamma f
• Scottish Gaelic: lasair f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: пла̏ме̄н m

  Roman: plȁmēn (sh) m

• Sicilian: ciamma f
• Sinhalese: please add this translation if you can
• Slovak: plameň m
• Slovene: plamen (sl) m
• Spanish: flama (es) f, llama (es)
• Swedish: flamma (sv) c, låga (sv) c
• Tajik: шӯъла (šüʾla), аланга (alanga), алов (alov)
• Tamil: பிழம்பு (ta) (piḻampu)
• Telugu: మంట (te) (maṇṭa)
• Thai: เปลวไฟ (bpleeo-fai), อัคนิคณะ (àk-ní-ká-ná)
• Tocharian B: sleme
• Tok Pisin: paia (tpi)
• Tupinambá: ataendy (t-)
• Turkish: alev (tr)
• Turkmen: ýalyn
• Ukrainian: по́лум'я (uk) n (pólumʺja)
• Urdu: شعلہ‎ m (śolā), لو‎ f (lau)
• Uzbek: olov (uz), alanga (uz)
• Vietnamese: ngọn lửa
• Walloon: blame (wa) f, flame (wa) f
• Welsh: ffagl f, fflam (cy) f
• West Frisian: flam
• Yiddish: פֿלאַם‎ m (flam), פֿײַערצונג‎ f (fayertsung)
• Yámana: šola

romantic partner

• Bulgarian: страст (bg) f (strast)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 戀人 (zh), 恋人 (zh) (liànrén)

• Czech: milenec (cs) m, milenka (cs) f
• Danish: flamme (da) c
• Finnish: heila (fi)
• German: Flamme (de) f
• Greek: έρωτας (el) m (érotas), αίσθημα (el) n (aísthima)

• Italian: fiamma (it) f
• Japanese: 恋人 (ja) (こいびと, koibito), 彼 (ja) (かれ, kare) (male), 彼女 (ja) (かのじょ, kanojo) (female)
• Korean: 연인 (ko) (yeonin) (戀人 (ko)), 애인 (ko) (aein) (愛人 (ko))
• Polish: kochanka (pl) f, kochanek (pl) m
• Romanian: iubit (ro) m, iubită (ro) f
• Russian: страсть (ru) f (strastʹ), предме́т любви́ m (predmét ljubví)
• Swedish: flamma (sv) c

criticism

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 火藥味 (zh), 火药味 (zh) (huǒyàowèi)

• Estonian: leim (et)
• Finnish: trollaus (fi)
• French: polémique (fr) f
• Italian: flame (it) m

• Japanese: フレーム (ja) (furēmu)
• Polish: krytycyzm m
• Russian: флейм (ru) m (flejm)

colour

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鮮紅色, 鲜红色 (xiānhóngsè)

• Finnish: tulipunainen (fi)
• Japanese: 炎色 (えんしょく, enshoku)
• Polish: ognista czerwień

• Swedish: brandgul (sv)
• Turkish: ateş kırmızısı

contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: loimukuvio

burning sentiment

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 激情 (zh) (jīqíng)

• Finnish: polte (fi)

Verb

flame (third-person singular simple present flames, present participle flaming, simple past and past participle flamed)

1. To produce flames; to burn with a flame or blaze.
   • c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again.

2. To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardour.
   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 2, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323:

     He flamed with indignation.

3. (Internet, transitive, intransitive) To post a destructively critical or abusive message (to somebody).

   I flamed him for spamming in my favourite newsgroup.

   • 2019, Steven McCornack & Kelly Morrison, Reflect & Relate, 5th edition

     Because online communication makes it easy to flame, many of us impetuously fire off messages that we later regret.

Derived terms

• flamer
• flaming

Related terms

• flambé

Translations

to produce flames

• Bulgarian: пламвам (bg) (plamvam), пламтя (bg) (plamtja)
• Danish: flamme (da)
• Dutch: vlammen (nl), laaien (nl)
• Finnish: leimuta, loimuta (fi), olla liekeissä
• Greek: φλέγομαι (el) (flégomai)
• Interlingua: flammar
• Italian: fiammeggiare, infiammare (it)
• Japanese: 炎を出す (ほのおをだす, honō o dasu), 燃える (ja) (もえる, moeru), 燃え上がる (もえあがる, moeagaru)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: گِڕگِرتِن‎ (girrgirtin)

• Latvian: liesmot
• Polish: rozpalić (pl) impf, rozpalać (pl) pf, rozniecić impf, rozniecać (pl) pf
• Portuguese: inflamar (pt)
• Romanian: înflăcăra (ro)
• Russian: пыла́ть (ru) (pylátʹ)
• Swedish: flamma (sv), flamma upp
• Westrobothnian: flåda, flåder, floder

to burst forth like flame

• Finnish: leimahtaa (fi)

to post a critical or abusive message on the Internet

• Danish: blusse
• Finnish: herjata (fi), trollata (fi)
• German: anmachen (de)

• Japanese: 叩く (ja) (たたく, tataku)
• Russian: фле́ймить (fléjmitʹ)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} flami

Adjective

flame (not comparable)

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

Translations

colour

• Finnish: tulipunainen (fi)
• Hungarian: lángvörös (hu)

• Polish: ognistoczerwony (pl) m

See also

• (reds) red; blood red, brick red, burgundy, cardinal, carmine, carnation, cerise, cherry, cherry red, Chinese red, cinnabar, claret, crimson, damask, fire brick, fire engine red, flame, flamingo, fuchsia, garnet, geranium, gules, hot pink, incarnadine, Indian red, magenta, maroon, misty rose, nacarat, oxblood, pillar-box red, pink, Pompeian red, poppy, raspberry, red violet, rose, rouge, ruby, ruddy, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, shocking pink, stammel, strawberry, Turkey red, Venetian red, vermillion, vinaceous, vinous, violet red, wine ^{(Category: en:Reds)}

Anagrams

• femal, fleam

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /flam/
• Homophones: flament, flames

Verb

flame

1. first-person singular present indicative of flamer
2. third-person singular present indicative of flamer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of flamer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of flamer
5. second-person singular imperative of flamer

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French flame.

Noun

flame

1. Alternative form of flawme

Etymology 2

From Old French flamber.

Verb

flame

1. Alternative form of flawmen

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Old French

Etymology

From Latin flamma.

Noun

flame f (oblique plural flames, nominative singular flame, nominative plural flames)

1. flame
   • circa 1250, Rutebeuf, Ci encoumence la complainte d ou conte huede de nevers:

     Senz redouteir l'infernal flame

     Without fearing the infernal flame

Derived terms

• enflamer

Descendants

• → English: flame
• French: flamme

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈflame]

Noun

flame f

1. indefinite plural of flamă
2. indefinite genitive/dative singular of flamă

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Walloon

Noun

flame f (plural flames)

1. flame

   Synonym: blame