fire

fire n Fire, conflagration, holocaust are comparable when meaning a blaze that reduces or threatens to reduce one or more buildings to ashes.

Fire is the general term referable to such an event, whether it involves one or many buildings and whether it is checked or not

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Chicago was nearly half destroyed by a fire that occurred in 1871

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there was a small fire on our street last night

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Conflagration implies a devastating fire that must be contended with by all the available forces; it usually takes a length of time to check it or to prevent its further advance

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a disastrous conflagration made 2000 persons homeless

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by quick work the firemen prevented the fire from developing into a conflagration

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Holocaust basically denotes a burnt sacrifice, but in more general use it refers usually to a conflagration in which there has been a great loss of life and especially of human life

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the burning of the Iroquois Theater at Chicago in 1903, in which nearly 600 persons lost their lives, was one of the worst holocausts ever known in the United States

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In extended use holocaust usually stresses destruction of life, but it may blend in the notion of sacrifice

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the Eire that had its birth in the holocaust of Easter Week— Richard Watts

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an assemblage of men whose maturity has been forged in the holocaust of battle— Loveman

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Analogous words: blaze, glare, flame, flare (see under BLAZE vb): burning, charring, scorching (see BURN vb)

fire vb

1 kindle, ignite, *light

Analogous words: *burn, scorch, char: *blaze, flame, flare, glare, glow: *illuminate, lighten

2 animate, inspire, *inform

Analogous words: excite, *provoke, stimulate, galvanize: *thrill, electrify: *stir, rouse, arouse: enliven, *quicken, vivify

Antonyms: daunt

Contrasted words: *dismay, appall

3 discharge, *dismiss, cashier, drop, sack, bounce

Analogous words: Cject, oust, expel: *discard