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blaze 1 (blāz)
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n.
1.
a. A brilliant burst of fire; a flame.
b. A destructive fire.
2. A bright or steady light or glare: the blaze of the desert sun.
3. A brilliant, striking display: flowers that were a blaze of color.
4. A sudden outburst, as of emotion: a blaze of anger.
5. blazes Used as an intensive: Where in blazes are my keys?
v. blazed, blaz·ing, blaz·es
v.intr.
1. To burn with a bright flame.
2. To shine brightly.
3. To be resplendent: a garden blazing with flowers.
4. To flare up suddenly: My neighbor's temper blazed.
5. To shoot rapidly and continuously: Machine guns blazed.
v.tr.
To shine or be resplendent with: eyes that blazed hatred.
[Middle English blase, from Old English blæse; see bhel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
blazing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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