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blaze¹

(blāz)

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.]

blazing·ly adv.

blaze²

(blāz)

1. A white or light-colored spot or stripe on the face of an animal, such as a horse.

2. A mark to indicate a trail, usually painted on or cut into a tree.

tr.v.blazed, blaz·ing, blaz·es

a. To mark (a tree) with a blaze.

b. To indicate (a trail) by making blazes.

2. To prepare or lead (the way in an endeavor):blazed the way in space exploration.

[Of Germanic origin; akin toBLAZE¹.]

(click for a larger image)

blaze2

top: on a horse's face

bottom: along the Tour du

Cézallier walking trails

Puy-de-Dôme region, France

blaze³

(blāz)

tr.v. blazed, blaz·ing, blaz·es

To make known publicly; proclaim: Headlines blazed the news.

[Middle English blasen, from Middle Dutch blāsen, to blow up, swell; see bhlē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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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