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torch - 8 dictionary results
torch
1
[tawrch] 
,–noun
| 1. | a light to be carried in the hand, consisting of some combustible substance, as resinous wood, or of twisted flax or the like soaked with tallow or other flammable substance, ignited at the upper end. |
| 2. | something considered as a source of illumination, enlightenment, guidance, etc.: the torch of learning. |
| 3. | any of various lamplike devices that produce a hot flame and are used for soldering, burning off paint, etc. |
| 4. | Slang. an arsonist. |
| 5. | Chiefly British. flashlight (def. 1). |
–verb (used without object)
| 6. | to burn or flare up like a torch. |
–verb (used with object)
—Idiom| 7. | to subject to the flame or light of a torch, as in order to burn, sear, solder, or illuminate. |
| 8. | Slang. to set fire to maliciously, esp. in order to collect insurance. |
| 9. | carry the or a torch for, Slang. to be in love with, esp. to suffer from unrequited love for: He still carries a torch for his ex-wife. |
Related forms:
torch⋅a⋅ble, adjective
torchless, adjective
torchlike, adjective
torch
2 [tawrch] ,–verb (used with object)
| to point (the joints between roofing slates) with a mixture of lime and hair. |
Origin:
1840–50; < F torcher to plaster with a mixture of clay and chopped straw, deriv. of torche a twist of straw. See torch 1
1840–50; < F torcher to plaster with a mixture of clay and chopped straw, deriv. of torche a twist of straw. See torch 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To torch
| torch (tôrch) n.
To cause to burn or undergo combustion, especially with extraordinary rapidity, force, or thoroughness. [Middle English torche, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *torca, alteration of Latin torqua, variant of torquēs, torque, from Latin torquēre, to twist; see terkw- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Torch
Torch\ (t[^o]rch), n. [OE. torche, F. torche a torch, rag, wisp, pad; probably from a derivative of L. torquere, tortum, to twist, because twisted like a rope; cf. F. torcher to rub, wipe, It. topcia a torch, torciare to wrap, twist, OF. torse a torse. Cf. Torture.] A light or luminary formed of some combustible substance, as of resinous wood; a large candle or flambeau, or a lamp giving a large, flaring flame. They light the nuptial torch. --Milton. Torch thistle. (Bot.) See under Thistle.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : torch
Spanish:
linterna,
German:
die Taschenlampe,
Japanese:
懐中電灯
torch
c.1290, from O.Fr. torche, originally "twisted thing," hence "torch formed of twisted tow dipped in wax," probably from V.L. *torca, alteration of L.L. torqua, variant of classical L. torques "collar of twisted metal," from torquere "to twist" (see thwart). In Britain, also applied to the battery-driven version (in U.S., flashlight). Verb meaning "set fire to" is first attested 1931. Torch song is 1927 ("My Melancholy Baby," performed by Tommy Lyman, is said to have been the first so-called), from carry a torch "suffer an unrequited love" (also 1927), an obscure notion from Broadway slang.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: TORCH
Pronunciation: 'torch
Function: noun
Etymology: toxoplasma, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus
: a group of pathological agents that cause similar symptoms in newborns and that include especially a toxoplasma (Toxoplasma gonii), cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and thetogavirus causing German measles
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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torch
see carry a torch; pass the torch.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
