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
Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 10 May 2024
Both were molded by college baseball coaching legend Augie Garrido, a firebrand who finished his career at Texas and passed away in 2018.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 2 May 2024
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“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebrand. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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firebrand
noun
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