Veterinary Medicine. 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.
fire away, Informal. to begin to talk and continue without slackening, as to ask a series of questions: The reporters fired away at the president.
45.
fire off,
a.
to discharge (as weapons, ammunition, etc.): Police fired off canisters of tear gas.
b.
to write and send hurriedly: She fired off an angry letter to her congressman.
Idioms
46.
between two fires, under physical or verbal attack from two or more sides simultaneously: The senator is between two fires because of his stand on the bill.
47.
build a fire under, Informal. 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.
48.
catch fire,
a.
Also, catch on fire.to become ignited; burn: The sofa caught fire from a lighted cigarette.
b.
to create enthusiasm: His new book did not catch fire among his followers.
49.
fight fire with fire, to use the same tactics as one's opponent; return like for like.
50.
go through fire and water, to brave any danger or endure any trial: He said he would go through fire and water to win her hand.
Origin: before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English fȳr; cognate with Old Norse fūrr,German Feuer,Greek pŷr (see pyro-); (v.) Middle English firen to kindle, inflame, derivative of the noun
Related forms
fir·er, noun
coun·ter·fire, noun, verb (used without object), coun·ter·fired, coun·ter·fir·ing.
c.1200, furen, figurative, "arouse, excite;" literal sense of "set fire to" is from late 14c., from fire (n.). The O.E. verb fyrian "to supply with fire" apparently did not survive into M.E. The sense of "sack, dismiss" is first recorded 1885 in Amer.Eng., probably from a
play on the two meanings of discharge: "to dismiss from a position," and "to fire a gun," the second sense being from "set fire to gunpowder," attested from 1520s. Related: Fired; firing. Fired up "angry" is from 1824.