flare

¹flare

noun \ˈfler\

Definition of FLARE

1

a : a fire or blaze of light used especially to signal, illuminate, or attract attention; also : a device or composition used to produce such a flare

2

: an unsteady glaring light b : solar flare; also : a sudden increase and decrease in the brightness of a star often amounting to a difference of several magnitudes

3

a : a sudden outburst (as of excitement or anger) b : flare-up 3

4

a : a spreading outward; also : a place or part that spreads b : an area of skin flush

5

: light resulting from reflection (as between lens surfaces) or an effect of this light (as a fogged or dense area in a photographic negative)

6

a : a short pass in football thrown to a back who is running toward the sideline b : a weakly hit fly ball in baseball <a flare into short right field>

7

plural : pants that flare toward the bottom

Examples of FLARE

1. the sudden flare of the match
2. When the crew saw flares, they knew the other ship was in trouble.

Origin of FLARE

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1580

Related to FLARE

Synonyms: burst, outbreak, flare-up, flash, flicker, flurry, flutter, outburst, spurt

Related Words: recrudescence, recurrence, renewal; binge, jag, spree; boost, increase, pickup, upswing, upturn; epidemic, eruption, explosion, paroxysm; deluge, flood, rush, spate, surge, volley; commotion, furor, uproar

Near Antonyms: calm, doldrums, slump

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

Rhymes with FLARE

air, Ayr, bare, bear, Blair, blare, care, chair, chare, dare, Dare, e'er, ere, err, eyre, fair, fare, flair, glair, glare, hair, hare, Herr, heir, lair, mare, ne'er, pair, pare, pear, prayer, rare, rear, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stair, stare, swear, tare, tear, their, there, vair, ware, wear, weir, where, yare