to leave a white surface exposed, which serves either for a boundary, a landmark, or as a sign to direct travellers. The Algonkin Indians of the north-east blaze trees so as to direct Indians leaving a village; white men make such marks on the other side.
A path which brought us opposite Ntunduru Island, blazing the trees as a guide.—Stanley: Through the Dark Continent.
It is used in this sense by the up country Australians.
The last six miles of a new road into Carcoar had just been marked out and partially made by the inhabitants, expressly for the governor. It was a well chosen but rough track designated by blazed trees on either hand, the unbarked parts being painted white, in order to be more manifest in the dusk.—Lieut.-Col. Munday: Our Antipodes.
It also applies to any kind of landmark.
I picked up a stone, and blazed my course by breaking off a projecting corner occasionally from lava walls and festoons of sulphur.—Mark Twain: A Strange Dream.
Blaze is an English provincialism for a white spot on a horse's forehead; and blazed is a term applied to a tree when marked for sale.
(General), to blaze away, to fire.
He blazed away and missed you in that shallow watercourse.—A. L. Gordon: The Sick Stockrider.
Blaze of triumph (theatrical), a ridiculous hyperbole, invented by the poet Bunn, to indicate a great success and crowded houses. To the initiated this usually signifies a dead failure, and a house crowded with "dead-heads."
Blazer (university), a coloured loose flannel jacket, worn as the uniform of a boating or other club; originally red, but now of the club colours, striped or coloured accordingly. The surplice worn by students in chapel on certain feast or fast days, is described as the blazer of the Church of England. Each club chose a different colour or combination of colours, and these combinations are something sufficiently startling to have originated the appellation.
Another fair damsel was resplendent in a scarlet blazer over cream-coloured flannel. Some of the striped blazers were very becoming. Slate and white, and black and white, were decidedly the favourites, though one daring dame had ventured on magenta.—Modern Society.
The effect produced by the thousands of floating and moving craft, with their occupants in brilliant blazers and light costumes, is quite unique of its kind.—The Standard.
(Prisons), a jacket worn by convicts.
If the young gentlemen do not like the convict blazers, they will not be allowed to take out a boat unless accompanied by a policeman.—Funny Folks.
Blazers (nautical), a term applied to mortar or bomb vessels, from the great emission of flame to throw a 13-inch shell.—Admiral Smyth.
