fire Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the event of something burning (often destructive)
    • they lost everything in the fire
  2. noun the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
    firing.
    • hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes
    • they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire
  3. noun the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
    flaming; flame.
    • fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries
  4. noun a fireplace in which a relatively small fire is burning
    • they sat by the fire and talked
  5. noun once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
  6. noun feelings of great warmth and intensity
    fervor; fervidness; ardor; fervour; ardour; fervency.
    • he spoke with great ardor
  7. noun fuel that is burning and is used as a means for cooking
    • put the kettle on the fire
    • barbecue over an open fire
  8. noun a severe trial
    • he went through fire and damnation
  9. noun intense adverse criticism
    flack; attack; blast; flak.
    • Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party
    • the government has come under attack
    • don't give me any flak
  10. verb start firing a weapon
    open fire.
  11. verb cause to go off
    discharge.
    • fire a gun
    • fire a bullet
  12. verb bake in a kiln so as to harden
    • fire pottery
  13. verb terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
    give the axe; send away; give the sack; dismiss; terminate; displace; sack; give notice; force out; can.
    • The boss fired his secretary today
    • The company terminated 25% of its workers
  14. verb go off or discharge
    discharge; go off.
    • The gun fired
  15. verb drive out or away by or as if by fire
    • The soldiers were fired
    • Surrender fires the cold skepticism
  16. verb call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
    raise; enkindle; elicit; arouse; evoke; kindle; provoke.
    • arouse pity
    • raise a smile
    • evoke sympathy
  17. verb destroy by fire
    burn; burn down.
    • They burned the house and his diaries
  18. verb provide with fuel
    fuel.
    • Oil fires the furnace

WordNet

Fire noun
Etymology
OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. fr; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. fri, frr, Gr. , and perh. to L. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre.
Definitions
  1. The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition. ✍ The form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases in an ascending stream or current is called flame. Anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as the four elements of which all things are composed.
  2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in stove or a furnace.
  3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.
  4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.
  5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth; consumingviolence of temper.
    he had fire in his temper.Atterbury.
  6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.
    And bless their critic with a poet's fire.Pope.
  7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.
    Stars, hide your fires.Shak.
    As in a zodiac
    representing the heavenly fires.Milton.
  8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.
  9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were exposed to a heavy fire.
Fire transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fired ; present participle & verbal noun Fring
Definitions
  1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.
  2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.
  3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge.
    Love had fired my mind. Dryden.
  4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the genius of a young man.
  5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler.
  6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.
    [The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines. Shak.
  7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge; as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls, rockets, etc.
  8. To drive by fire. Obs.
    Till my bad angel fire my good one out. Shak.
  9. (Far.) To cauterize. figuratively, to start up any machine
Fire intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.
  2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
  3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the town. Macaulay.

Webster 1913