firebrand
noun
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The original firebrands were incendiary indeed; they were pieces of wood set burning at the fire, perhaps for use as a light or a weapon. English speakers started brandishing those literal firebrands as long ago as the 13th century. (Robinson Crusoe held one high as he rushed into a cave on his deserted island and saw by the light of the firebrand . . . lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat.) But the burning embers of the wooden firebrand quickly sparked figurative uses for the term, too. By the early 14th century, firebrand was also being used for one doomed to burn in hell, and by 1382, English writers were using it for anyone who kindled mischief or inflamed passions.
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Examples of firebrand in a Sentence
Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024
Editors’ Picks Image Dr. Christ became chancellor in 2017, a year in which the conservative firebrands Milo Yiannopoulos and Ben Shapiro stirred frenzy by announcing lectures on campus.
—Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 6 June 2024
In San Francisco, Y Combinator’s firebrand chief executive Garry Tan is one of the startup economy’s most recognizable figures.
—Mohana Ravindranath, STAT, 5 June 2024
The chief minister of the state,Yogi Adityanath, saw himself as a firebrand Hindu nationalist leader and likely a successor of Modi.
—Sumit Ganguly, The Conversation, 4 June 2024
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“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebrand. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
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firebrand
noun
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