What does "flare" mean?

1. (a signal light) a bright light or flame used as a signal, often to show where you are or to ask for help. 2. (a sudden burst of light) a sudden, brief, and very bright light. 3. (to burn brightly) to suddenly burn with a bright, unsteady light. 4. (to land an aircraft) to pull the nose of a plane up just before touching the ground to land softly.

How do you use "flare"?

The verb is often used intransitively in this technical context.

flare

n. · v.

US //ˈfɫɛɹ// UK //flˈeə// flare

1 a signal light (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Nautical

a bright light or flame used as a signal, often to show where you are or to ask for help.

a pyrotechnic device that produces a bright light or colorful flame, typically used for signaling, illumination, or as a distress call.

Example

The sailors fired a red flare into the sky to show the rescue boat where they were.

Example

The stranded hikers deployed a handheld flare as the helicopter circled the valley, hoping the intense magnesium light would penetrate the thick canopy.
- signal
- beacon
- distress signal
2 a sudden burst of light (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a sudden, brief, and very bright light.

a sudden, brief, and unsteady burst of flame or light.

Example

A flare of light from the match showed his face for a second in the dark room.

Example

The solar flare released a massive burst of radiation that disrupted satellite communications for several hours across the northern hemisphere.

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3 to burn brightly (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to suddenly burn with a bright, unsteady light.

to burn with a sudden, intense, or irregular flame.

Example

The campfire flared up when he threw a dry log onto the coals.

Example

The gas from the refinery was flared off into the night sky, creating a rhythmic pulse of orange light visible for miles.
- extinguish
- smolder
4 to land an aircraft (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Aviation

to pull the nose of a plane up just before touching the ground to land softly.

to execute a maneuver during the landing approach where the nose is raised to reduce the rate of descent.

Example

The pilot started to flare just before the wheels touched the runway.

Example

If the pilot fails to flare at the correct altitude, the aircraft may experience a hard landing that could damage the landing gear.

Usage

The verb is often used intransitively in this technical context.
- level off
- dive

Origin

Origin unknown, first recorded in the mid 16th century, probably related to Latin flagrō (“I 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.