Scathefire
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Destructive flames; a conflagration. obsolete
"A title so clear, as if it were “written with a beam of the sliny;” which no true Englishman in his right wits did ever yet oppose, but one or two foreign pensioners, maintained on purpose abroad to kindle scathfires at home, who gained nothing by the question but to render themselves ridiculous."
Example
More examples"A title so clear, as if it were “written with a beam of the sliny;” which no true Englishman in his right wits did ever yet oppose, but one or two foreign pensioners, maintained on purpose abroad to kindle scathfires at home, who gained nothing by the question but to render themselves ridiculous."
Etymology
From scathe + fire. Compare German Schadenfeuer (“fire damage”). See also scarefire.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.