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Added 9 October 2026

flare

/flɛə̯/ noun

Latin root: flagrō First recorded: mid 16th century Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about flare at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A sudden bright light.
A source of brightly burning light or intense heat.
solar flare
A type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light without an explosion, used to attract attention in an emergency, to illuminate an area, or as a decoy.
Flares were used to steer the traffic away from the accident.

verb

To cause to burn; in particular, to burn off excess gas.
To cause inflammation; to inflame.
To open outward in shape.
The cat flared its nostrils while sniffing at the air. (transitive)

Origin

Origin uncertain, first recorded in the mid 16th century, probably related to Latin flagrō (“to burn”). Norwegian flara (“to blaze; to flaunt in gaudy attire”) has a similar meaning, but the English word predates it. Possibly related to Middle High German vlederen (“to flutter”), represented by modern German flattern. The noun is derived from the verb.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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