The difference between Flare and Gleam

When used as nouns, flare means a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light without an explosion, used to attract attention in an emergency, to illuminate an area, or as a decoy, whereas gleam means a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.

When used as verbs, flare means to cause to burn, whereas gleam means to shine.

check bellow for the other definitions of Flare and Gleam

  1. Flare as a noun (oil industry):

    A source of brightly burning light or intense heat. A type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light without an explosion, used to attract attention in an emergency, to illuminate an area, or as a decoy. A flame produced by a burn-off of waste gas (flare gas) from a flare tower (or flare stack), typically at an oil refinery.

    Examples:

    "[[solar flare solar flare]]"

    "'Flares were used to steer the traffic away from the accident."

    "The flares attracted the heat-seeking missiles."

  2. Flare as a noun (figuratively):

    A sudden eruption or outbreak; a flare-up.

  3. Flare as a noun:

    A widening of an object with an otherwise roughly constant width.

    Examples:

    "During assembly of a flare tube fitting, a flare nut is used to secure the flared tubing’s tapered end to the also tapered fitting, producing a pressure-resistant, leak-tight seal."

    "That’s a genuine early 70’s flare on those pants."

  4. Flare as a noun (in plural):

    Bell-bottom trousers.

  5. Flare as a noun (aviation):

    The transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.

    Examples:

    "The captain executed the flare perfectly, and we lightly touched down."

  6. Flare as a noun (baseball):

    A low fly ball that is hit in the region between the infielders and the outfielders.

    Examples:

    "synonyms blooper Texas leaguer"

    "Jones hits a little flare to left that falls for a single."

  7. Flare as a noun (photography):

  1. Flare as a verb (transitive):

    To cause to burn.

  2. Flare as a verb (transitive):

    To cause inflammation; to inflame.

  3. Flare as a verb (ambitransitive):

    To open outward in shape.

    Examples:

    "The cat flared its nostrils while sniffing at the air. (transitive)"

    "The cat’s nostrils flared when it sniffed at the air. (intransitive)"

    "The building flared from the third through the seventh floors to occupy the airspace over the entrance plaza. (intransitive)"

    "The sides of a bowl flare. (intransitive)"

  4. Flare as a verb (ambitransitive, aviation):

    To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.

  5. Flare as a verb (intransitive):

    To blaze brightly.

    Examples:

    "The blast furnace flared in the night."

  6. Flare as a verb (intransitive):

    To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light.

    Examples:

    "The candle flared in a sudden draught."

  7. Flare as a verb (intransitive, figuratively):

    To shine out with gaudy colours; to be offensively bright or showy.

  8. Flare as a verb (intransitive, figuratively):

    To suddenly happen or intensify.

    Examples:

    "synonyms flare up"

  9. Flare as a verb (intransitive, figuratively):

    To suddenly erupt in anger.

    Examples:

    "synonyms flare up"

  10. Flare as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To be exposed to too much light.

  1. Gleam as a noun:

    a small or indistinct shaft or stream of light.

  2. Gleam as a noun:

    a glimpse or hint; an indistinct sign of something.

    Examples:

    "The rescue workers preserved a gleam of optimism that they might still survive."

  3. Gleam as a noun:

    brightness or shininess; splendor.

  1. Gleam as a verb:

    To shine; to glitter; to glisten.

  2. Gleam as a verb:

    To be briefly but strongly apparent.

  3. Gleam as a verb (obsolete, falconry):

    To disgorge filth, as a hawk.

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