From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishblazeblaze1 /bleɪz/ ●○○ noun 1 fire a) [countable usually singular] a big dangerous fire – used especially in news reports → ablaze It took almost 100 firemen to bring the blaze under control.fight/tackle/control a blaze Helicopters were used to help fight the blaze.house/factory/barn etc blaze a huge chemical factory blaze b) [singular]FIRE a fire burning with strong bright flames I lit the fire and soon had a cheerful blaze going.► see thesaurus at fire2 light/colour [singular]CCLIGHT very bright light or colour → ablazeblaze of the blaze of light from the security lamps The garden is a blaze of colour at this time of year.3 → blaze of publicity/glory4 EMOTIONAL[singular] a sudden show of very strong emotion A blaze of anger flashed across his face.5 → what the blazes/who the blazes etc6 → like blazes7 MARK[countable usually singular]DSHMARK a white mark, especially one down the front of a horse’s faceCOLLOCATIONSverbsfight a blazeNearly 80 firefighters fought the blaze for three hours on Sunday.tackle a blaze British English (=fight it)Fire crews were called out to tackle a blaze at a house near York.control a blazeIt took more than an hour to control the blaze at the hotel.bring a blaze under controlFor more than four hours they battled to bring the blaze under control.put out/extinguish a blazeStaff managed to put out the blaze before firemen arrived.a blaze breaks out (also a blaze starts)The blaze broke out on the third floor of the building.a blaze spreadsThe blaze quickly spread to a neighbouring house.NOUN + blazea house/factory/car etc blaze (=a burning house/factory/car etc)Three people were badly hurt in a house blaze.
Examples from the Corpus
blaze• It looked like a blaze photographed with a filter that transformed everything into shades of the same colour.• a cheerful blaze in the fireplace• House fire: Firefighters were called to a house blaze in Sedgefield in the early hours of Saturday morning.• Six fire fighters were injured battling the blaze.• Firefighters struggled to control the blaze.• The rabbit stopped, caught in the blaze of the car's headlights.• The church was completely destroyed in the blaze.• Officials are still looking for whoever started the blaze.• Just like Windsor, the blaze happened during restoration work.fight/tackle/control a blaze• Putting Labour in charge of reducing unemployment would be like sending a fire fighter to tackle a blaze with his hoses full of petrol.blaze of• In the fall, the trees are a blaze of color.• Six passengers were killed in a blaze of automatic gunfire.• a blaze of sunshineblazeblaze2 ●○○ verb [intransitive] 1 fireBURN to burn very brightly and strongly → blazing The room was warm, with a fire blazing in the hearth.► see thesaurus at burn2 lightSHINE to shine with a very bright light A huge truck was advancing towards us, its headlights blazing. The sun blazed down as we walked along the valley.► see thesaurus at shine3 eyes [usually in progressive] literary if someone’s eyes are blazing, their eyes are shining brightly because they are feeling a very strong emotion, usually angerblaze with Linda leapt to her feet, her dark eyes blazing with anger.4 gun (also blaze away)PMWSHOOT if guns blaze, they fire bullets quickly and continuously An enemy plane roared overhead, its guns blazing.5 → blaze a trail6 → be blazed across/all over something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
blaze• Perhaps it was inevitable that an attraction should have blazed between them from the first.• The midday sun blazed down on us.• Lights blazed in every room in the house.• A fire was blazing in the fireplace.• Yet it was precisely conservatives such as the Mormons who had blazed paths to the voting booths fifty years before.• Now it was blazing steadily, promising an out-of-control inferno, unless she came to her senses and stopped it.• It rained on days when they needed sun and it blazed when Nichols wanted a rain sequence.• The windows of the cathedral were blazing with coloured light.fire blazing• Fairfax has a couple of gins and tonic ready by the time I have the fire blazing.• Despite sweltering in the luxury of a fire blazing full on, she received a series of credits on her budget account.• I thought of fire blazing in the wards of Glengall.sun blazed down• The sun blazed down as we followed narrow paths through the ling.• The sun blazed down on all of us: friends, family, servants and a cluster of barefoot neighborhood kids.blaze with• "Get out!" he screamed, his eyes blazing with hate.Origin blaze1 1. Old English blæse “torch”2. (1600-1700) German blas “white mark” blaze2 1. (1200-1300) → BLAZE112. (1700-1800) blaze “mark showing a path to be followed, made by cutting a piece from a tree” ((17-20 centuries)); → BLAZE17 