flare

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

flare, v. i. [Cf. Norw. flara to blaze, flame, adorn with tinsel, dial. Sw. flasa upp, and E. flash, or flacker.].

•  To burn with an unsteady or waving flame; as, the candle flares.  [1913 Webster]
•  To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light.  [1913 Webster]
•  To shine out with gaudy colors; to flaunt; to be offensively bright or showy.  [1913 Webster]

  "With ribbons pendant, flaring about her head."  [1913 Webster]
•  To be exposed to too much light.  [1913 Webster]

  "Flaring in sunshine all the day."  [1913 Webster]
•  To open or spread outwards; to project beyond the perpendicular; as, the sides of a bowl flare; the bows of a ship flare.  [1913 Webster]

To flare up, to become suddenly heated or excited; to burst into a passion. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

flare, n. 

•  An unsteady, broad, offensive light.  [1913 Webster]
•  A spreading outward; as, the flare of a fireplace.  [1913 Webster]
•  A defect in a photographic objective such that an image of the stop, or diaphragm, appears as a fogged spot in the center of the developed negative.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

flare, n. 

 Leaf of lard.  Dunglison.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

flare, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. widen or cause to widen gradually towards the top or bottom (flared trousers).
2 intr. & tr. burn or cause to burn suddenly with a bright unsteady flame.
3 intr. burst into anger; burst forth.
--n.
1 a a dazzling irregular flame or light, esp. in the open air. b a sudden outburst of flame.
2 a a signal light used at sea. b a bright light used as a signal. c a flame dropped from an aircraft to illuminate a target etc.
3 Astron. a sudden burst of radiation from a star.
4 a a gradual widening, esp. of a skirt or trousers. b (in pl.) wide-bottomed trousers.
5 an outward bulge in a ship's sides.
6 Photog. unnecessary illumination on a lens caused by internal reflection etc.

Idiom

flare-path an area illuminated to enable an aircraft to land or take off. flare up
1 burst into a sudden blaze.
2 become suddenly angry or active. flare-up n. an outburst of flame, anger, activity, etc.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

flare

Roman candle, addition, adjunct, aggrandizement, aid to navigation, alarm, amber light, ampliation, amplification, anger, augmentation, backfire, bake, balefire, bang, be bright, be in heat, beacon, beacon fire, beam, bedazzle, bell, bell buoy, black spot, blare, blast, blaze, blaze of light, blaze up, blind, blinker, bloom, blooping, blow up, blowout, blowup, blue peter, boil, boom, branch, branch out, break out, brilliance, broaden, broadening, broil, bulge, buoy, burn, burst, burst forth, caution light, chafe, choke, combust, cook, crescendo, cresset, dart, daze, dazzle, definition, deflagration, deploy, deployment, detonation, diffuse light, discharge, disperse, dispersion, enlarge, enlargement, erupt, eruption, expand, expansion, explode, explosion, extend, extension, facula, fan, fan out, fanning out, flambeau, flame, flame up, flaming torch, flare up, flare-up, flash, flash fire, flicker, flush, flutter, fog bell, fog signal, fog whistle, foghorn, fringe area, fry, fulgurate, fulguration, fulmination, fume, fusee, gasp, ghost, give light, glance, glare, gleam, gleam of light, glimmer, glint, glow, go light, gong buoy, granulation, green light, grid, hard shadow, heliograph, high sign, hiking, image, incandesce, incandescence, increase, international alphabet flag, international numeral pennant, kick, leer, light, link, luminosity, luster, magnification, marker beacon, multiple image, nod, noise, nudge, open, open up, outburst, outspread, outstretch, overgrow, overrun, pant, parachute flare, parch, picture, picture noise, picture shifts, pilot flag, poke, police whistle, quarantine flag, radiate, radiate heat, radio beacon, rage, rain, raising, ramify, red flag, red light, report, roast, rocket, rolling, sailing aid, scald, scanning pattern, scintillation, scorch, see red, seethe, semaphore, semaphore flag, semaphore telegraph, send out rays, shading, shimmer, shimmer with heat, shine, shine brightly, shoot, shoot out rays, sign, signal, signal beacon, signal bell, signal fire, signal flag, signal flare, signal gong, signal gun, signal lamp, signal light, signal mast, signal post, signal rocket, signal shot, signal siren, signal tower, simmer, smolder, smother, snow, snowstorm, solar flare, solar prominence, spar buoy, spark, splay, spraddle, sprangle, sprawl, spread, spread like wildfire, spread out, spreading, steam, stew, stifle, stop light, suffocate, sweat, swell, swelling, swelter, the nod, the wink, toast, torch, touch, traffic light, traffic signal, unfold, upping, watch fire, white flag, widen, widening, wigwag, wigwag flag, wink, yellow flag

ROGET THESAURUS

flare

Violence

VB be violent, run high, ferment, effervesce, romp, rampage, go on a rampage, run wild, run amuck, run riot, break the peace, rush, tear, rush headlong, rush foremost, raise a storm, make a riot, rough house, riot, storm, wreak, bear down, ride roughshod, out Herod, Herod, spread like wildfire (person), explode, make a row, kick up a row, boil, boil over, fume, foam, come on like a lion, bluster, rage, roar, fly off the handle, go bananas, go ape, blow one's top, blow one's cool, flip one's lid, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, fly into a rage (anger), break out, fly out, burst out, bounce, explode, go off, displode, fly, detonate, thunder, blow up, crump, flash, flare, burst, shock, strain, break open, force open, prize open, render violent, sharpen, stir up, quicken, excite, incite, annoy, urge, lash, stimulate, turn on, irritate, inflame, kindle, suscitate, foment, accelerate, aggravate, exasperate, exacerbate, convulse, infuriate, madden, lash into fury, fan the flame, add fuel to the flame, pour oil on the fire, oleum addere camino, explode, let fly, fly off, discharge, detonate, set off, detonize, fulminate.

Light

VB shine, glow, glitter, glister, glisten, twinkle, gleam, flare, flare up, glare, beam, shimmer, glimmer, flicker, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate, flash, blaze, be bright, reflect light, daze, dazzle, bedazzle, radiate, shoot out beams, fulgurate, clear up, brighten, lighten, enlighten, levin, light, light up, irradiate, shine upon, give out a light, hang out a light, cast light upon, cast light in, throw light upon, throw light in, shed light upon, shed luster upon, illume, illumine, illuminate, relume, strike a light, kindle.