A person who makes inflammatory or insulting comments online or in arguments, or a device that shoots flames such as a flamethrower.
From English 'flame' plus '-er' suffix, originally referring to something that produces flames (1920s-30s military usage). Later, with internet culture, it developed a second meaning for someone who 'flames' (makes angry, provocative posts), becoming common slang by the 1990s.
The term 'flamer' in online contexts comes from 'flaming,' which describes intentionally provocative posts designed to provoke emotional reactions—ironically, the word 'flame' here has nothing to do with actual fire but with heated anger.
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