flaming

Everyday

1. (mild swearing, mainly UK, Ireland, Australia) a softer stand-in for «bloody» to show annoyance: «that flaming dog». tree →
2. (literal) burning with flames: «a flaming torch». tree →
3. bright red or orange like fire: «flaming red hair». tree →
4. very angry or violent: «a flaming row». tree →
5. (internet) sending angry, insulting messages online. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday British and Australian talk «flaming» is a gentle swear word that lets people show anger without being too rude; it is old-fashioned and can sound comic. The literal fire sense is common in stories and science; the internet sense in safety lessons.

Examples

• Turn that flaming telly off! tree →
• Where are my flaming keys? tree →
• The knight carried a flaming torch into the cave. tree →
• She has flaming red hair. tree →
• They had a flaming row about the washing-up. tree →
• The flaming sun set behind the hills. tree →
• Flaming heck, it's cold out here! tree →
• Our online-safety lesson said flaming other users is a form of bullying. tree →
• At first it was quite dark, and the flaming torch only lit up dirty grey stone walls. tree →

Note

Trap: «flaming» before a noun can mean annoying (swearing) or literally on fire; check the context. As swearing it is mild but not for school work. Plain word in the swearing sense: annoying, damn. In science, «flaming» means producing flames.

In Jewish tradition

In the Torah a "flaming torch" passed between the pieces in Abraham's covenant, and a "flaming sword" guarded the way back to Eden.

Interpretation. The torch is read as a sign of God's promise to Abraham. The flaming sword is read as the barrier that kept humans out of the garden after the first sin.

Examples

• And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces. (Torah GEN.15.17, JPS 1917) tree →
• So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life. (Torah GEN.3.24, JPS 1917) tree →
• His ministers a flaming fire." (Psalm 104, 4.) [1:13] He selected three consonants from the simple ones which are in the hidden secret of three mothers or first elements: א"מ"ש air, water and ether or fire. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• Who makest winds Thy messengers, the flaming fire Thy ministers. (Writings PSA.104.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. (Writings PSA.105.32, JPS 1917) tree →
• For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait; their baker sleepeth all the night, in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire. (Prophets HOS.7.6, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Trap: «flaming» before a noun can mean annoying (swearing) or literally on fire; check the context. As swearing it is mild but not for school work. Plain word in the swearing sense: annoying, damn. In science, «flaming» means producing flames.