Fire (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

noun

a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.
a burning mass of material, as on a hearth or in a furnace.
the destructive burning of a building, town, forest, etc.; conflagration.
heat used for cooking, especially the lighted burner of a stove: Put the kettle on the fire.
Greek fire.
flashing light; luminous appearance.
brilliance, as of a gem.
burning passion; excitement or enthusiasm; ardor.
liveliness of imagination.
fever or inflammation.
severe trial or trouble; ordeal.
exposure to fire as a means of torture or ordeal.
strength, as of an alcoholic beverage.
a spark or sparks.
the discharge of firearms: enemy fire.
the effect of firing military weapons: to pour fire upon the enemy.
a gas or electric heater used for heating a room.
a luminous object, as a star: heavenly fires.

verb (used with object), fired, fir·ing.

to set on fire.
to supply with fuel or attend to the fire of (often followed by up):They fired the boiler.
to expose to the action of fire; subject to heat.
to apply heat to in a kiln for baking or glazing; burn.
to heat very slowly for the purpose of drying, as tea.
to inflame, as with passion; fill with ardor (often followed by up).
to inspire.
to light or cause to glow as if on fire.
to discharge (a gun).
to project (a bullet or the like) by or as if by discharging from a gun.
to subject to explosion or explosive force, as a mine.
to cause (a device, machine, etc.) to start working (usually followed by up): I just fired up my new laptop.
to hurl; throw: to fire a stone through a window.
to dismiss from a job.
to apply a heated iron to (the skin) in order to create a local inflammation of the superficial structures, with the intention of favorably affecting deeper inflammatory processes.
to drive out or away by or as by fire.

verb (used without object), fired, fir·ing.

to take fire; be kindled.
to glow as if on fire.
to become inflamed with passion; become excited.
to shoot, as a gun.
to discharge a gun: to fire at a fleeing enemy.
to hurl a projectile.
to ring the bells of a chime all at once.
(of plant leaves) to turn yellow or brown before the plant matures.
(of an internal-combustion engine) to cause ignition of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder or cylinders.
(of a nerve cell) to discharge an electric impulse.

adjective

Verb Phrases

to begin to talk and continue without slackening, as to ask a series of questions: The reporters fired away at the president.
fire off,

to discharge (as weapons, ammunition, etc.): Police fired off canisters of tear gas.
to write and send hurriedly: She fired off an angry letter to her congressman.

Idioms

under physical or verbal attack from two or more sides simultaneously: The senator is between two fires because of his stand on the bill.
to cause or urge to take action, make a decision quickly, or work faster: If somebody doesn't build a fire under that committee, it will never reach a decision.
to create enthusiasm: His new book did not catch fire among his followers.
to become ignited; burn: The sofa caught fire from a lighted cigarette.The movie set nearly caught on fire when a fire-related special effect went out of control.
to use the same tactics as one's opponent; return like for like.
to brave any danger or endure any trial: He said he would go through fire and water to win her hand.
hang fire,

to be delayed in exploding, or fail to explode.
to be undecided, postponed, or delayed: The new housing project is hanging fire because of concerted opposition.

to fail to explode or discharge, as a firearm.
to fail to produce the desired effect; be unsuccessful: He repeated the joke, but it missed fire the second time.

to trifle with a serious or dangerous matter: He didn't realize that insulting the border guards was playing with fire.
set fire to,

to cause to burn; ignite.
to excite; arouse; inflame: The painting set fire to the composer's imagination.

to become ignited; burn.
to become inspired with enthusiasm or zeal: Everyone who heard him speak immediately took fire.

under attack, especially by military forces.
under censure or criticism: The school administration is under fire for its policies.

abbreviation, noun

the sector of the economy that revolves around financial transactions of various kinds made by professional agents for their clients.
a movement among relatively young, well-paid professionals, especially those working in the tech industry, to achieve financial independence and retire early by radically cutting expenses and investing as much of their income and savings as possible.

verb (used without object) FIREd, FIRE·ing.

to achieve financial independence and retire early: Do any of you who have FIREd still earn money doing stuff you like?We won’t be FIREing anytime soon, but both my husband and I really enjoy being semi-retired.In the course of firing, he downsized to a smaller home and maxed out his retirement plan contributions, allowing him to retire at 43.

noun

the state of combustion in which inflammable material burns, producing heat, flames, and often smoke

to cause a great sensation
being attacked, as by weapons or by harsh criticism
of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

verb

to discharge (a firearm or projectile) or (of a firearm, etc) to be discharged
to detonate (an explosive charge or device) or (of such a charge or device) to be detonated
to dismiss from employment
to bake in a kiln to harden the clay, fix the glaze, etc
to kindle or be kindled; ignite
to provide with fuel
to tend a fire
to subject to heat
to heat slowly so as to dry
to arouse to strong emotion
to glow or cause to glow
(of an internal-combustion engine) to ignite
(of grain) to become blotchy or yellow before maturity
vet science another word for cauterize
(of a sportsman, etc) to play well or with enthusiasm