blaze

blaze
\ \ There are three distinct words blaze in English. The commonest, meaning ‘fire, flame’ [OE], comes from a prehistoric Germanic *blasōn. Its original signification was ‘torch’ (in the sense, of course, of a burning piece of wood or bunch of sticks), but by the year 1000 the main current meaning was established. The precise source of blazelight-coloured mark or spot’ [17] is not known for certain, but there are several cognate forms in other Germanic languages, including Old Norse blesi and German blässe; perhaps the likeliest candidate as far as blaze is concerned is Middle Low German bles. The verbal usage, as in ‘blaze a trail’ (that is, by making conspicuous marks on trees) originated in the mid 18th century. The related German adjective blasspale’, which originally meant ‘shining’, points up the fact that ultimately these two words blaze are related, the primeval sense ‘shining’ having diverged on the one hand through ‘pale’, on the other through ‘glowing, burning’.
\ \ The third blaze, ‘proclaim’ [14], as in ‘blaze abroad’, is now seldom encountered. It originally meant ‘blow a trumpet’, and comes ultimately from the Indo-European base *bhlā- (source of blow). Its immediate source in English was Middle Dutch blāsen. Despite its formal and semantic similarity, it does not appear to have any connection with blazon [13], which comes from Old French blasonshield’, a word of unknown origin.
\ \ A blazer [19] got its name from being a brightly coloured jacket (from blaze meaning ‘fire, flame’). It originated among English university students in the late 19th century.
\ \ According to a correspondent in the Daily News 22 August 1889, the word was originally applied specifically to the red jackets worn by members of the ‘Lady Margaret, St John’s College, Cambridge, Boat Club’. But by the 1880s its more general application had become widely established: in the Durham University Journal of 21 February 1885 we read that ‘the latest novelty … for the river is flannels, a blazer, and spats’.
\ \ Cf.BLOW

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Blaze — (bl[=a]z), n. [OE. blase, AS. bl[ae]se, blase; akin to OHG. blass whitish, G. blass pale, MHG. blas torch, Icel. blys torch; perh. fr. the same root as E. blast. Cf. {Blast}, {Blush}, {Blink}.] 1. A stream of gas or vapor emitting light and heat… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • blaze — blaze1 [blāz] n. [ME blase < OE blæse, blase, a torch, flame < IE * bhles , shine < base * bhel : see BLACK] 1. a brilliant mass or burst of flame; strongly burning fire 2. any very bright, often hot, light or glare [the blaze of… …   English World dictionary

  • blaze — n flare, flame, glare, glow (see under BLAZE vb) Analogous words: firing or fire, kindling, igniting or ignition (see corresponding verbs at LIGHT): effulgence, refulgence, radiance, brilliance or brilliancy (see corresponding adjectives at… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Blaze — Blaze, v. t. [OE. blasen to blow; perh. confused with blast and blaze a flame, OE. blase. Cf. {Blaze}, v. i., and see {Blast}.] 1. To make public far and wide; to make known; to render conspicuous. [1913 Webster] On charitable lists he blazed his …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Blaze — Blaze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Blazed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blazing}.] 1. To shine with flame; to glow with flame; as, the fire blazes. [1913 Webster] 2. To send forth or reflect glowing or brilliant light; to show a blaze. [1913 Webster] And far and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Blaze — Blaze, v. t. 1. To mark (a tree) by chipping off a piece of the bark. [1913 Webster] I found my way by the blazed trees. Hoffman. [1913 Webster] 2. To designate by blazing; to mark out, as by blazed trees; as, to blaze a line or path. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • blaze — [n1] fire bonfire, burning, combustion, conflagration, flame, flames, holocaust, wildfire; concepts 478,521 blaze [n2] flash of light beam, brilliance, burst, flare, glare, gleam, glitter, glow, radiance; concept 628 blaze [n3] torrent blast …   New thesaurus

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