flame tree

flame tree
    n 1: a terrestrial evergreen shrub or small tree of western
         Australia having brilliant yellow-orange flowers; parasitic
         on roots of grasses [syn: {flame tree}, {fire tree},
         {Christmas tree}, {Nuytsia floribunda}]
    2: showy tropical tree or shrub native to Madagascar; widely
       planted in tropical regions for its immense racemes of
       scarlet and orange flowers; sometimes placed in genus
       Poinciana [syn: {royal poinciana}, {flamboyant}, {flame
       tree}, {peacock flower}, {Delonix regia}, {Poinciana regia}]
    3: north Australian tree having white flowers and broad leaves
       [syn: {flame tree}, {broad-leaved bottletree}, {Brachychiton
       australis}]
    4: south Australian tree having panicles of brilliant scarlet
       flowers [syn: {flame tree}, {flame durrajong}, {Brachychiton
       acerifolius}, {Sterculia acerifolia}]
    5: tropical American thorny shrub or small tree; fragrant yellow
       flowers used in making perfumery [syn: {huisache}, {cassie},
       {mimosa bush}, {sweet wattle}, {sweet acacia}, {scented
       wattle}, {flame tree}, {Acacia farnesiana}]
    

Flame \Flame\ (fl[=a]m), n. [OE. flame, flaume, flaumbe, OF.
   flame, flambe, F. flamme, fr. L. flamma, fr. flamma, fr.
   flagrare to burn. See {Flagrant}, and cf. {Flamneau},
   {Flamingo}.]
   1. A stream of burning vapor or gas, emitting light and heat;
      darting or streaming fire; a blaze; a fire.
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   2. Burning zeal or passion; elevated and noble enthusiasm;
      glowing imagination; passionate excitement or anger. "In a
      flame of zeal severe." --Milton.
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            Where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic glow.
                                                  --Pope.
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            Smit with the love of sister arts we came,
            And met congenial, mingling flame with flame.
                                                  --Pope.
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   3. Ardor of affection; the passion of love. --Coleridge.
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   4. A person beloved; a sweetheart. --Thackeray.

   Syn: Blaze; brightness; ardor. See {Blaze}.
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   {Flame bridge}, a bridge wall. See {Bridge}, n., 5.

   {Flame color}, brilliant orange or yellow. --B. Jonson.

   {Flame engine}, an early name for the gas engine.

   {Flame manometer}, an instrument, invented by Koenig, to
      obtain graphic representation of the action of the human
      vocal organs. See {Manometer}.

   {Flame reaction} (Chem.), a method of testing for the
      presence of certain elements by the characteristic color
      imparted to a flame; as, sodium colors a flame yellow,
      potassium violet, lithium crimson, boracic acid green,
      etc. Cf. {Spectrum analysis}, under {Spectrum}.

   {Flame tree} (Bot.), a tree with showy scarlet flowers, as
      the {Rhododendron arboreum} in India, and the
      {Brachychiton acerifolium} of Australia.
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