burn Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun pain that feels hot as if it were on fire
    burning.
  2. noun a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun
    sunburn; tan; suntan.
  3. noun an injury caused by exposure to heat or chemicals or radiation
  4. noun a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body)
    burn mark.
  5. noun damage inflicted by fire
  6. verb destroy by fire
    fire; burn down.
    • They burned the house and his diaries
  7. verb shine intensely, as if with heat
    glow.
    • The coals were glowing in the dark
    • The candles were burning
  8. verb undergo combustion
    combust.
    • Maple wood burns well
  9. verb cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort
    bite; sting.
    • The sun burned his face
  10. verb cause to burn or combust
    combust.
    • The sun burned off the fog
    • We combust coal and other fossil fuels
  11. verb feel strong emotion, especially anger or passion
    • She was burning with anger
    • He was burning to try out his new skies
  12. verb cause to undergo combustion
    incinerate.
    • burn garbage
    • The car burns only Diesel oil
  13. verb burn at the stake
    • Witches were burned in Salem
  14. verb spend (significant amounts of money)
    • He has money to burn
  15. verb feel hot or painful
    • My eyes are burning
  16. verb burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent
    cauterise; cauterize.
    • The surgeon cauterized the wart
  17. verb get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun
    sunburn.
  18. verb create by duplicating data
    cut.
    • cut a disk
    • burn a CD
  19. verb use up (energy)
    burn off; burn up.
    • burn off calories through vigorous exercise
  20. verb burn with heat, fire, or radiation
    • The iron burnt a hole in my dress

WordNet

Burn transitive verb
Etymology
OE. bernen, brennen, v.t., early confused with beornen, birnen, v.i., AS. bærnan, bernan, v.t., birnan, v.i.; akin to OS. brinnan, OFries. barna, berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G. brennen, OD. bernen, D. branden, Dan. brænde, Sw. bränna, brinna, Icel. brenna, Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in comp.), and possibly to E. fervent.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Burned () or Burnt (); present participle & verbal noun Burning
Definitions
  1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn up wood. "We'll burn his body in the holy place." Shak.
  2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char; to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face in the sun; the sun burns the grass.
  3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to destroy or change some property or properties of, by exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.
  4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn charcoal; to burn letters into a block.
  5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does; as, to burn the mouth with pepper.
    This tyrant fever burns me up. Shak.
    This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. Dryden.
    When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the ass as fire. Ecclus. xliii. 20, 21.
  6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.
  7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as, a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.
Burn intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be of fire; to flame. "The mount burned with fire." Deut. ix. 15.
  2. To suffer from, or be scorched by, an excess of heat.
    Your meat doth burn, quoth I. Shak.
  3. To have a condition, quality, appearance, sensation, or emotion, as if on fire or excessively heated; to act or rage with destructive violence; to be in a state of lively emotion or strong desire; as, the face burns; to burn with fever.
    Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way? Luke xxiv. 32.
    The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, Burned on the water. Shak.
    Burning with high hope. Byron.
    The groan still deepens, and the combat burns. Pope.
    The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire. Milton.
  4. (Chem.) To combine energetically, with evolution of heat; as, copper burns in chlorine.
  5. In certain games, to approach near to a concealed object which is sought. Colloq.
Burn noun
Definitions
  1. A hurt, injury, or effect caused by fire or excessive or intense heat.
  2. The operation or result of burning or baking, as in brickmaking; as, they have a good burn.
  3. A disease in vegetables. See Brand, n., 6.
Burn noun
Etymology
See 1st Bourn.
Definitions
  1. A small stream. Scot.

Webster 1913