Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A small stream; a brook.
- intransitive verb To undergo combustion or be consumed as fuel.
- intransitive verb To be damaged, injured, or destroyed by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
- intransitive verb To consume fuel.
- intransitive verb To emit heat or light by fire or energy.
- intransitive verb To become dissipated or be dispelled.
- intransitive verb To suffer death or punishment by fire.
- intransitive verb To be electrocuted.
- intransitive verb To be very hot; bake.
- intransitive verb To feel or look hot.
- intransitive verb To impart a sensation of heat.
- intransitive verb To penetrate something by intense heat, energy, or caustic effect.
- intransitive verb To cause a strong impression, especially by emotional intensity.
- intransitive verb To become irritated or painful, as by chafing or inflammation.
- intransitive verb To become sunburned or windburned.
- intransitive verb To be consumed with strong emotion, especially.
- intransitive verb To be or become angry.
- intransitive verb To be very eager.
- intransitive verb To cause to undergo combustion, especially to the point of destruction.
- intransitive verb To consume (fuel or energy, for example).
- intransitive verb To use as a fuel.
- intransitive verb To metabolize (glucose, for example) in the body.
- intransitive verb To damage or injure by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
- intransitive verb To make or produce by fire or heat.
- intransitive verb To dispel or dissipate, as by heat.
- intransitive verb To execute or kill with fire.
- intransitive verb To execute by electrocution.
- intransitive verb To irritate or inflame, as by chafing or sunburn.
- intransitive verb To impart a sensation of intense heat to.
- intransitive verb To make angry.
- intransitive verb To brand (an animal).
- intransitive verb To engrave or make indelible by burning.
- intransitive verb To cause to be felt or remembered because of emotional intensity.
- intransitive verb To harden or impart a finish to by subjecting to intense heat; fire.
- intransitive verb To defeat in a contest, especially by a narrow margin.
- intransitive verb Sports To outplay or score on (an opponent), especially through quick or deceptive movement.
- intransitive verb To inflict harm or hardship on; hurt.
- intransitive verb To swindle or deceive; cheat.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Once I believed myself one of the most courageous of men; I have beheld _death_ in many terrible shapes, and feared it in none; but, oh! to burn, -- to _burn!
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 530, January 21, 1832 Various
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(i.e. the sea), 1862. bärnan, w. v., _to cause to burn, to burn_: inf. hêt ... bânfatu bärnan,
Beowulf Robert Sharp 1879
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(i.e. the sea), 1862. bærnan, w. v., _to cause to burn, to burn_: inf. hēt ... bānfatu bærnan,
Beowulf Robert Sharp 1879
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_inflection_; as when we say, Fire burns; the change of the second word from _burn_ to _burns_ showing that we mean to affirm the predicate burn of the subject fire.
A System Of Logic, Ratiocinative And Inductive John Stuart Mill 1839
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_inflection_; as when we say, Fire burns; the change of the second word from _burn_ to _burns_ showing that we mean to affirm the predicate burn of the subject fire.
A System Of Logic, Ratiocinative And Inductive (Vol. 1 of 2) John Stuart Mill 1839
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"If you look at the amount of money that's being spent on a monthly basis," said Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., "the request is not in keeping with what we refer to as the burn rate."
The Seattle Times 2011
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"We know their system and we know that they run what they call burn-burn-time," he said.
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A significant portion of the gasoline our cars "burn" is actually unburnt and travels through the exhaust system.
Huge Crowd at C-Ville Peace Demonstration at cvillenews.com 2003
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The opportunity for forest fires will be less (they are very slim now) and no fuel to burn is a good idea and you can never be to quiet in the woods.
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The opportunity for forest fires will be less (they are very slim now) and no fuel to burn is a good idea and you can never be to quiet in the woods.
treeseed commented on the word burn
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German brunno spring of water
Date: before 12th century
creek
"And the otter grew so sentimental (for otters can be very sentimental when they choose, like a good many people who are both cruel and greedy, and no good to anybody at all) that she sailed solemnly away down the burn, and Tom saw her no more for that time."
_Water Babies, Charles Kingsley, 1937
January 28, 2008
bilby commented on the word burn
This word always looks like bum if I don't have my glasses on.
October 6, 2008
dontcry commented on the word burn
*snort*
October 6, 2008
bilby commented on the word burn
"The chainsaw has, of course, been a great invention for getting the fallen wood into useable forms. It's just a pity that so many of the fallen trees seem to end up in a burn at the bottom of a deep ravine."
- Brian Henderson, 'You Can't Beat Warming Your Toes At A Real Log Fire', The Sunday Post (Scotland), 11 Jan 2009.
January 12, 2009
bilby commented on the word burn
"The major hazard is getting burned. Buy from a friend or a reputable dealer. If you have to do business with a stranger, be extra careful. Never front money. One of the burn artist's tricks is to take your money, tell you to wait and split with your dough. There are various side show gimmicks each burn artist works. The most common is to ask you to walk with them a few blocks and then stop in front of an apartment building. He then tells you the dope is upstairs and asks you to hand over the money in advance. He explains that his partner is the real uptight 'cause they were raided once and won't let anybody in the pad. He takes your dough and disappears inside the building. Out the back door or up to the roof and into his getaway helicopter."
- Abbie Hoffman, 'Steal This Book', 1971.
February 18, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word burn
"31. A damage sometimes suffered by tobacco in the process of curing (drying), due to excessive moisture in the air. Specifically termed house-burn when it takes place indoors, and pole-burn when the leaves are dried hanging on poles."
--Century Dictionary
December 24, 2010