2
general::
noun hot bright stream of fire ADJ. hot | small | bright | pale | dancing, flickering, leaping | steady | naked Never smoke or use spray paint near a naked flame. | candle, gas | Olympic QUANT. ball, sheet, tongue The plane crashed in a ball of flames. Sheets of flame shot into the air. VERB + FLAME ignite, spark (often figurative) His childhood interest in the game had ignited a flame of passion for football. | rekindle (often figurative) They tried to rekindle the flames of romance. | douse, extinguish, quench, snuff (out) | feel (often figurative) She felt a flame of anger flicker and grow. FLAME + VERB burn The flame burnt brightly. | grow | die, go out The candle flame flickered and went out. | leap, rise, shoot Flames leapt from the burning house. Flames shot high into the air. | lick (sth) Orange flames were already licking round the foot of the stairs. | dance, flicker Flames danced in the gas lantern. FLAME + NOUN thrower The infantry were equipped with flame throwers. PHRASES the crackle of flames 2 flames fire ADJ. roaring VERB + FLAME be engulfed in, be in A large part of the building was in flames. | go up in All the historical records have gone up in flames (= have been destroyed by fire). | burst into, erupt in, explode in/into The helicopter burst into flames. | fuel Oxygen tanks fuelled the flames. | fan Winds fanned the flames. | shoot sb/sth down in The aircraft was shot down in flames. | fight He fought the flames for two hours. | control Firefighters have been trying to control the flames. | douse, extinguish, put out, quench, smother Men came with buckets of water and began to douse the flames. | be beaten back by They tried to get into to the house but were beaten back by the flames. FLAME + VERB die down | spread, sweep through sth They watched the flames sweep through the old wooden barn. | engulf sth The flames quickly spread and engulfed their home. | light sth (up) The flames lit up the skyline.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
4
general::
flame
verbs
put out/extinguish the flames
(= make them stop burning )
• The firemen successfully put out the flames.
douse the flames
(= pour water on them to make them stop )
• We used a bucket of water to douse the flames.
smother the flames
(= put something over them to make them stop burning )
• Barry smothered the flames with a blanket.
fan the flames
(= make them burn more by waving something in front of them )
• She used a large piece of card to fan the flames.
a flame burns
• The flames were burning brightly.
a flame dies down
(= burns less strongly )
• By evening, the flames had gradually died down.
a flame goes out
(= stops burning )
• Try not to let the flame go out.
flames flicker
( also flames dance literary ) (= they move )
• He watched the flames flickering in the fireplace.
flames engulf something
(= they completely surround and burn something )
• Flames quickly engulfed the building.
flames leap
(= they go high into the air )
• Flames were leaping up the chimney.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + flame
a naked/an open flame
(= not enclosed with a cover )
• Never use a naked flame near spray paint.
a candle flame
• He lit the fire with the candle flame.
a gas flame
• The glass is heated over a gas flame.
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