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In British English, a torch is a small electric light — what American English calls a '.' It can also mean a stick with fire burning at one end, used for light in old times or in ceremonies, like the Olympic torch. As a verb, , 'to torch' something means to set it on fire on purpose.
(英式)手電筒;火把;(動詞)縱火燒毀
組成From Old French 'torche,' which came from Latin.
原始詞典資料20 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
torchnoun詞源 1/ˈtɔːtʃ/
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A stick of wood or plant fibres twisted together, with one end soaked in a flammable substance such as resin or tallow and set on fire, which is held in the hand, put into a wall bracket, or stuck into the ground, and used chiefly as a light source.
- The mob of angry villagers carried torches and pitchforks to the vampire’s castle.
- Enter at one doore Æneas, at another Paris, Deiphobus, Antemor [i.e., Antenor], Diomed [i.e., Diomedes] vvith torches.
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A stick of wood or plant fibres twisted together, with one end soaked in a flammable substance such as resin or tallow and set on fire, which is held in the hand, put into a wall bracket, or stuck into the ground, and used chiefly as a light source.
- Eleven days before the start of the [modern Olympic] Games, a flaming torch is ignited by the sun in Olympia at the ruins of the ancient Temple of Zeus. With that flame, relay runners lighted torches one from the other and carry it to the opening of the Games. Ever since 1936, the Summer Olympics has had its fire-font lit by a relay torch ignited at Olympia.
- The degradation of the [Olympic] torch worldwide—it had to be snuffed out more than once to protect it from protesters—even provoked angry Chinese students to mobilise "150 strong and energetic runners" to defend it in Australia, raising the spectre of violence.
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biologybotanynatural-sciencesA flower which is red or red-orange in colour like a flame.
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biologybotanynatural-sciencesA spike (“kind of inflorescence”) made up of spikelets.
- Of this kinde, there is founde an other, the Spikes, eares, or torches wherof, are very dubble, ſo as in euery Spyky eare, in ſteede of the little knappes or heades, it bringeth forth a number of other ſmal torches, wherof eche one is lyke to the ſpike or torch of great Plantayne.
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biologybotanynatural-sciencesThe common mullein, great mullein, or torchwort (Verbascum thapsus).
- [page 118] The white male Mulleyn (or rather Wolleyn) hath […] the whole top with his pleaſant yellow floures ſheweth like to a waxe Candell or taper cunningly wrought. […] [pages 119–120] Mulleyn is called […] in English alſo Tapſus barbatus, Mulleyne, or rather Wulleyn, Hig[h]taper, Torches, and Longworte: […]
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obsoletebiologybotanynatural-sciencesA cactus with a very elongated body; a ceroid cactus; a torch cactus or torch-thistle.
- Cereus Peruuianus ſpinoſus L'Obelij. The torch, or thornie Euphorbium. […] [T]his plant, vvhich is called of the Indians in their mother toong Vragua, vvhich is as much to ſay, a torch, taper, or vvaxe candle, vvhereupon it hath been called in Latine of thoſe that vnderſtoode the Indian toong, Cereus, or a torch […] riſeth vp to the height of a ſpeare of 20. foote long, […]
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A source of enlightenment or guidance.
- [T]he Scholars of our eyes, / Our Beaux from Gallantry vvould ſoon be vviſe; / VVould gladly light, their homage to improve, / The Lamp of Knovvledge at the Torch of Love!
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In carry, hand on, pass on, take up the torch: a precious cause, principle, tradition, etc., which needs to be protected and transmitted to others.
另外 1 個記錄的用法
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slangAn arsonist.
- Some years ago, another Houston torch attached a kitchen match to the bell striker on an ordinary telephone so that it would vibrate when the phone rang. He placed a piece of sandpaper close enough to the match so that when the bell rang, the match rubbed the surface of the sandpaper and started a fire. The torch, after setting up the device, drove to a town many miles from his home and then dialed his home number, successfully starting a fire in his own home.
- Upon the advice of the prosecutor, who was already at the arson unit's office, the torches were not arrested, but "detained" and offered the opportunity to cooperate with the investigators in their efforts to implicate the landlord. […] As one torch had had most contact with their employer, investigators decided that he should make a call to the landlord on a tapped telephone and try and discuss the planned fire with him. The landlord was reluctant to say anything over the phone and suggested that he and the torch should meet.
torchverb詞源 1/ˈtɔːtʃ/
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To illuminate or provide (a place) with torches (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1).
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informalTo intentionally destroy (something) by setting it on fire, especially when committing arson in furtherance of some other criminal act (e.g. insurance fraud or the destruction of evidence).
- Some hoodlums had torched a derelict automobile, which emitted a ghastly pall of thick, black smoke that filled the street.
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To make damaging claims about (someone or something); to ruin the reputation of (someone or something); to disparage, to insult.
- That influencer torched the company’s PR department.
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Of a fire: to burn.
- The flames torched up twenty feet in the air.
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literaturemediapublishingTo travel in a spacecraft propelled by a torch drive (“an engine which produces thrust by nuclear fusion”).
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dialectalTo (appear to) flare up like a torch.
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fishinghobbieslifestyleTo catch fish or other aquatic animals by torchlight; to go torch-fishing.
torchverb詞源 2/ˈtɔːtʃ/
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archaichistoricalbusinessconstructionmanufacturingTo point (“fill up and bring to a smooth finish”) (inside joints of slates laid on laths) using lime hair mortar.
這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。