"carry the torch" meaning in All languages combined

See carry the torch on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Forms: carries the torch [present, singular, third-person], carrying the torch [participle, present], carried the torch [participle, past], carried the torch [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} carry the torch (third-person singular simple present carries the torch, present participle carrying the torch, simple past and past participle carried the torch)
  1. Alternative form of carry a torch. Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: carry a torch
    Sense id: en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-uL8Cku8z Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 84 12 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 90 6 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 91 5 4
  2. (idiomatic) To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-g2mqxa25
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see carry, the, torch.
    Sense id: en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-t8xgEMbv
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: pass the torch, torchbearer

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "carries the torch",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carrying the torch",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carried the torch",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carried the torch",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "carry the torch (third-person singular simple present carries the torch, present participle carrying the torch, simple past and past participle carried the torch)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "55 0 45",
      "word": "pass the torch"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "55 0 45",
      "word": "torchbearer"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "carry a torch"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "84 12 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 6 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 5 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              98,
              116
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1941, “Jim”, Nelson Shawn (lyrics), James Caesar Petrillo and Edward Ross (music):",
          "text": "Someday, I know that Jim will up and leave me\n But even if he does you can believe me\n I'll go on carryin' the torch for Jim\n I'll go on lovin' my Jim",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of carry a torch."
      ],
      "id": "en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-uL8Cku8z",
      "links": [
        [
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          "carry a torch#English"
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      ],
      "tags": [
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    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              82,
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          ],
          "ref": "2005, Richard J. Ellis, To the Flag, pages 138 – 139:",
          "text": "To many it meant that the United States was the chosen nation, selected by God to carry the torch of freedom and battle the evil forces of Communism.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              28
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2013, Doug Lipp, Disney U, page 144:",
          "text": "Entrusted to carry the torch of Disney excellence to Japan, each manager is in the United States for an extended training and orientation program.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              126,
              141
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2018, Steve Kornacki, The Red and the Blue:",
          "text": "Once Mondale suffered his inevitable defeat in November, the search would commence for a new leader for the party, someone to carry the torch in 1988, when Reagan would be forbidden from running again and the country might, after eight years of Republican rule, be ready for a break.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause."
      ],
      "id": "en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-g2mqxa25",
      "links": [
        [
          "cause",
          "cause"
        ],
        [
          "crusade",
          "crusade"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see carry, the, torch."
      ],
      "id": "en-carry_the_torch-en-verb-t8xgEMbv",
      "links": [
        [
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        [
          "the",
          "the#English"
        ],
        [
          "torch",
          "torch#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "carry the torch"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "carries the torch",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carrying the torch",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carried the torch",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "carried the torch",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      "name": "en-verb"
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  ],
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "pass the torch"
    },
    {
      "word": "torchbearer"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "carry a torch"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              98,
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            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1941, “Jim”, Nelson Shawn (lyrics), James Caesar Petrillo and Edward Ross (music):",
          "text": "Someday, I know that Jim will up and leave me\n But even if he does you can believe me\n I'll go on carryin' the torch for Jim\n I'll go on lovin' my Jim",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of carry a torch."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
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          "carry a torch#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
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    {
      "categories": [
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        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              82,
              97
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2005, Richard J. Ellis, To the Flag, pages 138 – 139:",
          "text": "To many it meant that the United States was the chosen nation, selected by God to carry the torch of freedom and battle the evil forces of Communism.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              28
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2013, Doug Lipp, Disney U, page 144:",
          "text": "Entrusted to carry the torch of Disney excellence to Japan, each manager is in the United States for an extended training and orientation program.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              126,
              141
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2018, Steve Kornacki, The Red and the Blue:",
          "text": "Once Mondale suffered his inevitable defeat in November, the search would commence for a new leader for the party, someone to carry the torch in 1988, when Reagan would be forbidden from running again and the country might, after eight years of Republican rule, be ready for a break.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cause",
          "cause"
        ],
        [
          "crusade",
          "crusade"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To continue the work or legacy (of a cause); to crusade for a cause."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see carry, the, torch."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "carry",
          "carry#English"
        ],
        [
          "the",
          "the#English"
        ],
        [
          "torch",
          "torch#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "carry the torch"
}

Download raw JSONL data for carry the torch meaning in All languages combined (2.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.