torch

n 1: a light carried in the hand; consists of some flammable

substance

2: tall-stalked very woolly mullein with densely packed yellow

flowers; ancient Greeks and Romans dipped the stalks in

tallow for funeral torches [syn: {common mullein}, {great

mullein}, {Aaron's rod}, {flannel mullein}, {woolly

mullein}, {Verbascum thapsus}]

3: a small portable battery-powered electric lamp [syn: {flashlight}]

4: a burner that produces a hot flame [syn: {blowtorch}, {blowlamp}]

v : burn maliciously, as by arson; "The madman torched the

barns"

zorch

/zorch/ 1. [TMRC] To attack with an inverse heat sink.

2. [TMRC] To travel with velocity approaching lightspeed.

3. [MIT] To propel something very quickly. "The new comm

software is very fast; it really zorches files through the

network."

4. [MIT] Influence. Brownie points. Good karma. The

intangible and fuzzy currency in which favours are measured.

"I'd rather not ask him for that just yet; I think I've used

up my quota of zorch with him for the week."

5. [MIT] Energy, drive, or ability. "I think I'll {punt} that

change for now; I've been up for 30 hours and I've run out of

zorch."

6. [MIT] To flunk an exam or course.

7. Computing power.

[{Jargon File}]

(1997-07-09)