tɔ:tʃ n. & v. --n. 1 (also
electric torch)
Brit. a
portable battery-powered electric
lamp. 2 a a
piece of
wood,
cloth,
etc., soaked in
tallow and lighted
for illumination. b
any similar lamp, e.g. an oil-lamp on a
pole. 3 a
source of
heat, illumination, or
enlightenment (bore
aloft the torch of freedom). 4
esp. US a
blowlamp. 5 US sl. an arsonist. --v.tr. esp. US sl. set alight
with a torch. øcarry a torch for
suffer from unrequited love for. put to the torch
destroy by
burning. torch-fishing
catching fish by
torchlight at
night. torch-race Gk Antiq. a
festival performance of runners handing lighted torches to others in relays. torch singer a
woman who sings torch songs. torch
song a
popular song of unrequited love. torch-thistle any
tall cactus of the
genus Cereus, with funnel-shaped flowers
which open at night. [ME f. OF torche f. L torqua f. torquere twist]