flare

[[t]flɛər[/t]]

v. flared, flar•ing, n.

1) to blaze with a sudden burst of flame (often fol. by up):

The fire flared up as the paper caught[/ex]

2) to burn with an unsteady, swaying flame

3) to burst out in sudden, fierce activity, passion, etc. (often fol. by up or out)

4) to shine or glow

5) to spread gradually outward, as the end of a trumpet or the bottom of a wide skirt

6) to cause to flare

7) to display conspicuously or ostentatiously

8) to signal by flares of fire or light

9) ene to discharge and burn (excess gas) at a well or refinery

10) phv flare out or up, to become suddenly enraged

11) a flaring or swaying flame or light

12) a sudden blaze or burst of flame

13)

a) a blaze of fire or light used as a signal, for illumination or guidance, etc

b) a device or substance producing such a blaze

14) a sudden burst, as of zeal or of anger

15) a gradual spread outward in form; outward curvature

16) something that spreads out

17) clo flares, trousers that flare near or at the bottoms of the legs

18) opt unwanted light reaching the image plane of an optical instrument, resulting from extraneous reflections, scattering by lenses, and the like

19) pht a fogged appearance given to an image by reflection within a camera lens or within the camera itself

20) astron.

solar flare

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Etymology: 1540–50; orig. meaning: spread out, said of hair, a ship's sides, etc.