Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin flamma 'flame'

flame

1 noun
     
flame
flame1
1 [uncountable and countable] hot bright burning gas that you see when something is on fireCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
douse flames (=pour water on them to make them stop burning) fan flames (=make them burn more by waving something in front of them) smother flames (=put something over them to make them stop burning) flames flicker/dance (=they move) flames engulf something (=they surround and burn something) flames lick something (=they touch something lightly) flames leap (=they go high into the air) candle/coal/gas flame naked flame (=one that is not enclosed)
Flames poured out of the windows of the building.
They rushed past us with buckets of water and tried to douse the flames.
They sat around the campfire, watching the flickering flames.
Flames quickly engulfed the building.
a candle flame
2

in flames

burning in a way that is difficult to control:
When we reached Mandalay it was in flames.
They escaped just as the house was engulfed in flames.
3

go up in flames/burst into flames

to suddenly begin burning in a way that is difficult to control:
The helicopter burst into flames after hitting a power line.
4

a flame of anger/desire/passion etc

literary a strong feeling:
Flames of desire shot through her.
5 [countable] an angry or rude email

➔ old flame

at old (4)

; ➔ naked flame

at naked (5)

; ➔ fan the flames

at fan2 (2)

; ➔ add fuel to the fire/flames

at add (9)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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