[Cf. G. wildfeuer lightning, will o’ the wisp, erysipelas, etc.]
† 1. Furious or destructive fire; a conflagration (in early quots. app. one caused by lightning: cf. 2 d). Obs. (as a specific use).
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1032. On þissum ʓeare atywde þæt wildefyr, ðe nan mann æror nan swylc ne ʓemunde.
c. 1366. Chronicon Brevius, an. 1047, in Eulogium Hist. (Rolls), II. 294. Mortalitas in Anglia et ignis aereus, quæ dicitur wildfire, blada combussit in pago Derebiæ.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 797. He hade weryede the worme by wyghtnesse of strenghte, Ne ware it fore the wylde fyre that he hyme wyth defendez.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1870. How wild fyre was sloken sall be sene.
1538. Bale, God’s Promises, III. B iv. Wylde fyre and brymstone shall lyght vpon them all.
1634. S. R., Noble Soldier, II. i. C 4 b. You to quench a wild fire, Cast oyle upon it.
2. In various specific uses (wild often implying ‘natural, not, artificially produced,’ or ‘out of doors, not domestic’: cf. WILD a. 1–4). † a. The flames of spirituous liquor burning on some dishes, as plum-pudding, when served up. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 371. Swiche manere bake metes and dissh metes brennynge of wilde fir.
† b. A fire kindled out of doors for warmth. Obs. rare–1.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 855. Than wist Percyvelle by thatt, It servede hym of somwhatt The wylde fyre that he gatt.
c. Will-o’-the-wisp, ignis fatuus; also fig.
Also dialectally applied to other phosphorescent appearances: see Eng. Dial. Dict.
1663. G. Wharton, Cal. Carol., A 3 b. [They] wonder by what Wild fires they were led To feed on Thistles ’stead of wholsome Bread.
1683. [see 2 e].
1727. P. Walker, Life R. Cameron, in Biogr. Presbyt. (1827), I. 243. Some Willies with the Wisps, or Spunkies of Wild-fire, seen mostly in boguish myrish Ground.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, VI. xxii. As springs the wild-fire from the moss.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, V. 431. Tho’ yourself Be dazzled by the wildfire Love to sloughs That swallow common sense.
1873. C. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond. (1876), 405. He taught … that intellectual culture without moral practice is a wildfire, and that conscience is the voice of God.
1885. J. Payn, Talk of Town, vii. Led by wildfire of this sort to the brink of disappointment.
d. Lightning; esp. sheet lightning without audible thunder, ‘summer lightning.’
1795. Burns, Verses Destr. Woods Drumlanrig, v. Or was ’t the wil’fire scorch’d their boughs?
1888. Tait, in Encycl. Brit., XXIII. 330/1. What is called ‘summer lightning’ or ‘wild-fire’ is sometimes a rather puzzling phenomenon.
e. † Volcanic fire (obs.); fire-damp in coal-mines.
1683. G. Sinclair, Nat. Philos., Misc. Observ., 293. In some Coals,… there is a certain Fire,… and I judge, that from its resemblance to Ignis fatuus, which the Vulgar termeth Wild-fire, it hath the same name.
1692. Ray, Disc., I. iii. (1693), 12. If such Hills … may be, and have been elevated by subterraneous Wild-fire, Flatus or Earthquakes.
1883. Gresley, Gloss. Coal-mining, Wild-fire, an old term used by colliers for fire-damp.
3. A composition of highly inflammable substances, readily ignited and very difficult to extinguish, used in warfare, etc.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8485. Hii asailede þe toun mid þis tour wel uaste, & wilde fur wiþ pich & grece.
13[?]. Coer de L., 5229. With trepeiettes they slungen alsoo,… And blewe wylde-fyr in trumpes of gynne.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 373. Thou liknest wommenes loue … to wilde fyr The moore it brenneth the moore it hath desir.
1471. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 278. At Londone brige anodyr sawte thay made agayne, Wyth gunpowdir and wildefire and straw eke.
a. 1490. Botoner, Itin. (Nasmith, 1778), 279. Destruxit per obcidionem civitatem per passeres cum wyldfyre ad eorum caudas ligata, volando ad civitatem.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. V., 56. Some set skalyng ladders to the wal, and other cast in wylde fyre.
1629. Malthus, Fireworks, in Hodgkin, Rariora (1902), III. III. 16. Hand-granades, fiery Wheeles, a Shippe of wilde Fire, and a Petard.
a. 1642. Sir W. Monson, Naval Tracts, III. (1704), 344/2. Pikes of Wild-fire to stick burning into a Ship’s side.
a. 1674. Milton, Hist. Moscovia, i. Wks. 1851, VIII. 479. Then out of Mortar-pieces they shoot Wild-fire into the Air.
1742. Wesley, Jrnl., 26 Jan. The exceeding thick smoke, which was occasion’d by the wild fire and things of that kind, continually thrown into the room.
1783. Justamond, trans. Raynal’s Hist. Indies (new ed.), I. 61. Chymistry was know’n; and wildfire had been invented.
1871. Fireworks & How to make them, 58. Port or Wildfires. Saltpetre 4 parts, mealpowder 6 parts, and sulphur 3 parts.
4. A name for erysipelas and various inflammatory eruptive diseases, esp. those in which the eruption spreads from one part to another.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 114. Erysipila, wilde fyr.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 10. It quenchiþ wele herisiplam, þat is wilde fire or few sawage.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 33. Lentilles … are good for … the wyldefire and for the kybes.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXIII. Proeme II. 146. Shingles, ringworms, and such like wild-fires.
1614. Markham, Cheap Husb., Sheep, ix. 72. This disease which is called the wildfire is a very infectious sicknesse, and will indanger the whole flocke.
1818–20. E. Thompson, trans. Cullen’s Nosol. Method. (ed. 3), 331. Herpes; Ringworm; Shingles; Wildefire.
1847. Dick, Man. Vet. Sci. (1862), 175. Erysipelas in sheep appears in various slight modifications…. Wildfire … generally shews itself at the beginning of winter…. The skin inflames and rises into blisters.
1907. ‘Q’ (Quiller-Couch), Merry-Garden, etc., Black Joke, i. 223. Wounds showing signs of inflammation and threatening to set up wildfire.
5. fig. or in fig. allusions (usually from sense 3, sometimes 4), in reference to a destructive agency, or to excited, violent, or fervid feeling or utterance.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4314. Thoru þine ei þe sal be sent A flan, wit wild fire al brent, First to brin þin hert wit-in.
c. 1425. Cast. Persev., 2116, in Macro Plays, 140. Belsabub … Bad me brenne þee with wyld fere.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 271 b. What thunderboltes and wildefire he [sc. the Pope] threw out of his bloudy turrettes agaynst Luther’s life.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., To Rdr. Neuer more let him looke to quench wilde fire with milke.
1612. J. Davies, Muse’s Sacrifice, Wks. (Grosart), II. 18/1. The wilde-fire of my Passions burnèd me.
1646. J. Hall, Poems, 34. Admit no wildfire in Poetick rage.
a. 1653. G. Daniel, Idyll., IV. 106. Caesar … Is but a Wild-fire to wast Senate Raggs, And silence Cato.
1736. Neal, Hist. Purit., III. 539. It was impossible to stop the impetuous wildfire of the army.
1765. Ann. Reg., Char., 1. The wild-fire of applause or reproach is let off at the authors, in an undistinguishing blaze.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, iii. That which will but warm your Flemish hearts, will put wildfire into Norman brains.
1888. Doughty, Trav. Arabia Deserta, II. 148. There is a wild-fire in my heart which cannot be appeased till I be avenged.
† b. In imprecations (in sense 3 or 4). Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1188. Ho-so faileþ for feyntyce wild fur him for-brenne.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 252. A wilde fyr vp on thair bodyes falle.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 3802. That she wolde, in her entent, In wilde fire that he were brent.
1520. Calisto & Melib. (1536), B j. That a wyld fyre bren the, Celestena.
c. 1622. Rowley, etc., Birth of Merlin, III. vi. Wilde-fire and Brimstone eat thee!
c. 1705. Pope, Jan. & May, 641. So may some wildfire on your bodies fall.
c. Phr. Like wildfire: with immense rapidity and effect; very swiftly and forcibly: usually with run, spread, etc.; hence occas. gen. forcibly, vigorously. (The commonest current use.)
[1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1523. Whose words like wild fire burnt the shining glorie Of rich-built Illion.]
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. ii. 58. We set fire to it [sc. sedgy grass], which runs like Wild-fire.
1762. Goldsm., Cit. W., xxx. Though I was at that time rich in fame—for my book ran like wild-fire—yet I was very short in money.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, I. xvi. The report … spread like wild-fire through the town.
1857. Reade, Course of True Love, Clouds & Sun., i. She would … go … and flirt like wild-fire for a fortnight.
1886. Stuart C. Cumberland, in 19th Cent., Dec., 883. With such thoughts running like wild-fire through her mind.
6. attrib.: in sense 3, as wildfire arrow, ball, plot; fig. (cf. 5), as wildfire blood, zeal; wildfire rash, a disease of infants, a form of strophulus with a wandering eruption (cf. 4).
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), *Wild Fire Arrows, such as are trimmed with Wild-Fire.
1614. Gorges, Lucan, VI. 222. Shoures of *wildefire balls.
1824. Scott, Redgauntlet, ch. xviii. The *wildfire blood of Redgauntlet.
1641. (title) A *Wild-fire Plot found out in Ireland, shewing how the Rebels would have consumed the City of Dublin with Wild-fire.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), V. 566. Children … liable to the strophulus volaticus, or *wild-fire rash.
1601. Bp. W. Barlow, Defence, Ep. Ded. A *wilde-fire zeale.
