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spontaneous combustion

5 dictionary results for: Spontaneous combustion

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

spontaneous combustion

–noun

the ignition of a substance or body from the rapid oxidation of its own constituents without heat from any external source.

[Origin: 1800–10

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

spontaneous combustion
n. Ignition of a substance, such as oily rags or hay, caused by a localized heat-increasing reaction between the oxidant and the fuel and not involving addition of heat from an outside source.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

spontaneous combustion
noun
ignition of a substance (as oily rags) resulting from an internal oxidation process

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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

spontaneous combustion
The bursting into flame of a mass of material as a result of chemical reactions within the substance, without the addition of heat from an external source. Oily rags and damp hay, for example, are subject to spontaneous combustion.

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American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
spontaneous combustion

A process by which a collection of materials (such as oily rags) catches fire without the application of heat from outside. The oxidation of substances in the materials starts the fire.

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