flashover

noun

flash·​over ˈflash-ˌō-vər How to pronounce flashover (audio)
1
: an abnormal electrical discharge (as through the air to the ground from a high potential source or between two conducting portions of a structure)
2
: the sudden spread of flame over an area when it becomes heated to the flash point

Examples of flashover in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The crew became trapped in a canyon during a flashover, their situation further complicated by problems with radio communications that caused challenges in determining the crew's exact location. Lacey Latch, The Arizona Republic, 27 June 2023 Bates had managed to document the most dramatic instance of exterior flashover ever observed. John Vaillant, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023 Clearly flashover had occurred. Douglas Starr, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2011 In those strikes, victims can experience burns on their skin as a portion of the current moves over the skin's surface (called flashover), but the greatest concern is the portion of the current that moves through the body's cardiovascular and nervous systems. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, 20 Jan. 2022 Wood fires, especially those that reach flashover, frequently exceed the melting point of metals.. Douglas Starr, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2011 Witnesses had reported flames exploding out the windows—the main indicator of a flashover fire. Douglas Starr, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2011 That phenomenon, called flashover, occurs when a fire seems to burst out a room’s windows and doors. Douglas Starr, Discover Magazine, 23 Oct. 2011 The free event features safety information, activities and demonstrations, including a water rescue in Lake Osborne, a flashover fire and K9 unit exercises. Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flashover was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near flashover

Cite this Entry

“Flashover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashover. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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