wildfire

[ wahyld-fahyuhr ]

noun

1. any large fire in brush, forests, or open spaces that spreads rapidly and is hard to extinguish.
2. a highly flammable composition, such as Greek fire, difficult to extinguish when ignited, formerly used in warfare.
3. sheet lightning, unaccompanied by thunder.
4. the ignis fatuus or a similar light.
5. Plant Pathology. a disease of tobacco and soybeans, characterized by brown, necrotic spots, each surrounded by a yellow band, on the leaves and caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas tabaci.
6. Pathology Obsolete. erysipelas or some similar disease.

wildfire

/ ˈwaɪldˌfaɪə /

noun

1. a highly flammable material, such as Greek fire, formerly used in warfare
2. 1. a raging and uncontrollable fire
   2. anything that is disseminated quickly (esp in the phrase spread like wildfire )
3. lightning without audible thunder
4. another name for will-o'-the-wisp

Word History and Origins

Origin of wildfire¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English wildefire, Old English wildfȳr; equivalent to wild + fire

Idioms and Phrases

see spread like wildfire .

Example Sentences

It was not the first time that a wildfire has kept field workers from earning a living.

From Los Angeles Times

Industry groups representing loggers, mills, private timberland owners, biomass energy producers and others claim the designation would lead to heightened wildfire risk.

From Los Angeles Times

Some light rain could reach Southern California by the weekend, but it likely won’t be enough to eliminate any wildfire threat through the end of the year.

From Los Angeles Times

"This study highlights the systemic health impacts of climate stressors including air quality, wildfires, temperature, and drought conditions and the continued need to for transdisciplinary research," she said.

From Science Daily

However, using this type of burning, known as cultural burning, for managing severe wildfires in Australia remains contentious.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• blaze
• conflagration
• flare
• flash
• light
• spark