FLARE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does flare mean? 

• FLARE (noun)
  The noun FLARE has 11 senses:

1. a shape that spreads outward

2. a sudden burst of flame

3. a burst of light used to communicate or illuminate

4. reddening of the skin spreading outward from a focus of infection or irritation

5. a sudden recurrence or worsening of symptoms

6. a sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface; associated with sunspots and radio interference

7. am unwanted reflection in an optical system (or the fogging of an image that is caused by such a reflection)

8. a sudden outburst of emotion

9. a device that produces a bright light for warning or illumination or identification

10. a short forward pass to a back who is running toward the sidelines

11. (baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield

  Familiarity information: FLARE used as a noun is familiar.

• FLARE (verb)
  The verb FLARE has 4 senses:

1. burn brightly

2. become flared and widen, usually at one end

3. shine with a sudden light

4. erupt or intensify suddenly

  Familiarity information: FLARE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FLARE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A shape that spreads outward

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

flair; flare

Context example:

the skirt had a wide flare

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

form; shape (the spatial arrangement of something as distinct from its substance)

Derivation:

flare (become flared and widen, usually at one end)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A sudden burst of flame

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

fire; flame; flaming (the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke)

Derivation:

flare (burn brightly)

flare (shine with a sudden light)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A burst of light used to communicate or illuminate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

flare; flash

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

visual signal (a signal that involves visual communication)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flare"):

star shell (an artillery shell containing an illuminant)

Bengal light (a steady bright blue light; formerly used as a signal but now a firework)

Very-light; Very light (a colored flare fired from a Very pistol)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reddening of the skin spreading outward from a focus of infection or irritation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

erythroderma (any skin disorder involving abnormal redness)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A sudden recurrence or worsening of symptoms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

infection can cause a lupus flare

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

attack (a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A sudden eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun's surface; associated with sunspots and radio interference

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

flare; solar flare

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

solar radiation (radiation from the sun)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Am unwanted reflection in an optical system (or the fogging of an image that is caused by such a reflection)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

reflection; reflexion (the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being thrown back from a surface)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A sudden outburst of emotion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

she could not control her flare of rage

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

blowup; ebullition; effusion; gush; outburst (an unrestrained expression of emotion)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A device that produces a bright light for warning or illumination or identification

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flare"):

fusee; fuzee (a colored flare used as a warning signal by trucks and trains)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A short forward pass to a back who is running toward the sidelines

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

flare; flare pass

Context example:

he threw a flare to the fullback who was tackled for a loss

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

aerial; forward pass (a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer)

Sense 11

Meaning:

(baseball) a fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("flare" is a kind of...):

fly; fly ball ((baseball) a hit that flies up in the air)

Domain category:

ball; baseball; baseball game (a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs)

• FLARE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they flare    ... he / she / it flares   
Past simple: flared   
Past participle: flared   
-ing form: flaring   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Burn brightly

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

blaze up; burn up; flame up; flare

Context example:

Every star seemed to flare with new intensity

Hypernyms (to "flare" is one way to...):

burn; combust (undergo combustion)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

flare (a sudden burst of flame)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become flared and widen, usually at one end

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

flare; flare out

Context example:

The bellbottom pants flare out

Hypernyms (to "flare" is one way to...):

widen (become broader or wider or more extensive)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

flare (a shape that spreads outward)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Shine with a sudden light

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

flame; flare

Context example:

The night sky flared with the massive bombardment

Hypernyms (to "flare" is one way to...):

beam; shine (emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

Lights flare on the horizon
The horizon is flareing with lights

Derivation:

flare (a sudden burst of flame)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Erupt or intensify suddenly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

break open; burst out; erupt; flare; flare up; irrupt

Context example:

The crowd irrupted into a burst of patriotism

Hypernyms (to "flare" is one way to...):

deepen; intensify (become more intense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

M-class flares are a tenth the size of the most intense flares, the X-class flares.

(Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Images of a Mid-Level Solar Flare, NASA)

The first flare is classified as an X2.2 flare and the second is an X9.3 flare.

(Two Significant Solar Flares Imaged by NASA's SDO, NASA)

Younger stars tend to be more active, exhibiting stronger magnetic fields, larger flares, and more intense X-ray emission than their older counterparts.

(NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Finds Planet That Makes Star Act Deceptively Old, NASA)

Fortunately, low-mass stars like TRAPPIST-1 have temperatures and brightnesses that remain relatively constant over trillions of years, punctuated by occasional magnetic flaring events.

(TRAPPIST-1 is Older Than Our Solar System, NASA/JPL)

The flaring lamps of a carriage were immediately in view.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Astronomers have observed the largest X-ray flare ever detected from the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

(NASA’s Chandra Detects Record-Breaking Outburst from Milky Way’s Black Hole, NASA)

A flare of acne which may be precipitated by variety of factors, including hormonal activity, stress, oils and oily cosmetics, sweat, overwashing, and certain foods and drugs.

(Aggravated Acne, NCI Thesaurus)

The ability to process solar data in real time is important because flares erupting on the sun affect Earth over the course of minutes.

(Detecting solar flares in real time, National Science Foundation)

I should not have been surprised if the wet black beard had frizzled and curled and flared up in smoke and flame.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Many people with chronic cancer-related pain experience intermittent flares of pain that can occur even though a person is taking analgesic medications on a fixed schedule for pain control.

(Breakthrough pain, NCI Thesaurus)