| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
burn1 (bɜːn) ![]() | |
| —vb , burns, burning, burnt, burned | |
| 1. | to undergo or cause to undergo combustion |
| 2. | to destroy or be destroyed by fire |
| 3. | (tr) to damage, injure, or mark by heat: he burnt his hand; she was burnt by the sun |
| 4. | to die or put to death by fire: to burn at the stake |
| 5. | (intr) to be or feel hot: my forehead burns |
| 6. | to smart or cause to smart: brandy burns one's throat |
| 7. | (intr) to feel strong emotion, esp anger or passion |
| 8. | (tr) to use for the purposes of light, heat, or power: to burn coal |
| 9. | (tr) to form by or as if by fire: to burn a hole |
| 10. | to char or become charred: the potatoes are burning in the saucepan |
| 11. | (tr) to brand or cauterize |
| 12. | (tr) to cut (metal) with an oxygen-rich flame |
| 13. | to produce by or subject to heat as part of a process: to burn charcoal |
| 14. | (tr) to copy information onto (a CD-ROM) |
| 15. | astronomy to convert (a lighter element) to a heavier one by nuclear fusion in a star: to burn hydrogen |
| 16. | chiefly (Brit) cards to discard or exchange (one or more useless cards) |
| 17. | informal (tr; usually passive) to cheat, esp financially |
| 18. | slang chiefly (US) to electrocute or be electrocuted |
| 19. | slang (Austral) (tr) to drive fast (esp in the phrase go for a burn) |
| 20. | burn one's bridges, burn one's boats to commit oneself to a particular course of action with no possibility of turning back |
| 21. | burn the candle at both ends See candle |
| 22. | burn one's fingers to suffer from having meddled or been rash |
| —n | |
| 23. | an injury caused by exposure to heat, electrical, chemical, or radioactive agents. Burns are classified according to the depth of tissue affected: first-degree burn: skin surface painful and red; second-degree burn: blisters appear on the skin; third-degree burn: destruction of both epidermis and dermis |
| 24. | a mark, e.g. on wood, caused by burning |
| 25. | a controlled use of rocket propellant, esp for a course correction |
| 26. | a hot painful sensation in a muscle, experienced during vigorous exercise: go for the burn! |
| 27. | (Austral), (NZ) a controlled fire to clear an area of scrub |
| 28. | slang tobacco or a cigarette |
| [Old English beornan (intr), bærnan (tr); related to Old Norse brenna (tr or intr), Gothic brinnan (intr), Latin fervēre to boil, seethe] | |
burn (bûrn)
v. burned or burnt (bûrnt), burn·ing, burns
To undergo or cause to undergo combustion.
To consume or use as fuel or energy.
To damage or injure by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
To irritate or inflame, as by chafing or sunburn.
To become sunburned or windburned.
To metabolize a substance, such as glucose, in the body.
To impart a sensation of intense heat to.
To feel or look hot.
An injury produced by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
A burned place or area.
The process or result of burning.
A stinging sensation.
A sunburn or windburn.
| burn (bûrn) Pronunciation Key
Verb
Noun Tissue injury caused by fire, heat, radiation (such as sun exposure), electricity, or a caustic chemical agent. Burns are classified according to the degree of tissue damage, which can include redness, blisters, skin edema and loss of sensation. Bacterial infection is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of severe burns. |
burn definition
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