torch

noun

/tɔːtʃ/

/tɔːrtʃ/

Idioms

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(British English)
(also flashlight North American English, British English)
a small electric lamp that you can hold in your hand and carry with you
- Shine the torch on the lock while I try to get the key in.
Extra Examples
- The policeman flashed his torch over the men's faces.
- The torch flickered and went out.
- We struggled to read the map by the light of the torch.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- powerful
- electric
verb + torch
- carry
- have
- switch off
- …
torch + verb
- flash
- shine
torch + noun
- beam
phrases
- the beam of a torch
- the light from a torch
- the light of a torch
- …
See full entry
(also blowtorch (both North American English))
(British English blowlamp)
a tool for directing a very hot flame onto part of a surface, for example to remove paint
a long stick that has material at one end that is set on fire and that people carry to give light
- a flaming torch
- the Olympic torch
Extra Examples
- Supporters carried flaming torches to welcome him.
- They lit their torches from the fire.
- The torches were burning fiercely.
- The path to the castle was lit by blazing torches.
- Servants were carrying lighted torches.
- (figurative) I'm ready to pass the torch on to the next generation (= let a younger person take my place or job).
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- blazing
- burning
- flaming
- …
verb + torch
- light
- carry
- hold
- …
torch + verb
- light
- burn
- flare
- …
See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French torche, from Latin torqua, variant of torques ‘necklace, wreath’, from torquere ‘to twist’. The current verb sense was originally US slang and dates from the 1930s.

Idioms

carry a torch for somebody

to be in love with somebody, especially somebody who does not love you in returnTopics Feelingsc2

put something to the torch

(literary) to set fire to something deliberately

torch

verb

/tɔːtʃ/

/tɔːrtʃ/

(informal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they torch	/tɔːtʃ/ /tɔːrtʃ/
he / she / it torches	/ˈtɔːtʃɪz/ /ˈtɔːrtʃɪz/
past simple torched	/tɔːtʃt/ /tɔːrtʃt/
past participle torched	/tɔːtʃt/ /tɔːrtʃt/
-ing form torching	/ˈtɔːtʃɪŋ/ /ˈtɔːrtʃɪŋ/

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torch something to set fire to a building or vehicle deliberately in order to destroy it
- The houses had been looted and then torched.
- Rioters threw bottles at police and torched a number of cars.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French torche, from Latin torqua, variant of torques ‘necklace, wreath’, from torquere ‘to twist’. The current verb sense was originally US slang and dates from the 1930s.