fuse

1 [fyooz] noun, verb, fused, fus·ing.
noun
1.
a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.
2.
fuze ( def 1 ).
verb (used with object)
3.
fuze ( def 3 ).
Idioms
4.
have a short fuse, Informal. to anger easily; have a quick temper.
Origin:
1635–45; < Italian fuso < Latin fūsus spindle

Related forms
fuse·less, adjective
fuse·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

fuse

2 [fyooz] noun, verb, fused, fus·ing.
noun
1.
Electricity. a protective device, used in an electric circuit, containing a conductor that melts under heat produced by an excess current, thereby opening the circuit. Compare circuit breaker.
verb (used with object)
2.
to combine or blend by melting together; melt.
3.
to unite or blend into a whole, as if by melting together: The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.
verb (used without object)
4.
to become liquid under the action of heat; melt: At a relatively low temperature the metal will fuse.
5.
to become united or blended: The two groups fused to create one strong union.
6.
Chiefly British. to overload an electric circuit so as to burn out a fuse.
Idioms
7.
blow a fuse, Informal. to lose one's temper; become enraged: If I'm late again, they'll blow a fuse.
Origin:
1675–85; < Latin fūsus melted, poured, cast, past participle of fundere

Synonyms
2. See melt1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
fuse or fuze1 (fjuːz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a lead of combustible black powder in a waterproof covering (safety fuse), or a lead containing an explosive (detonating fuse), used to fire an explosive charge
2.  any device by which an explosive charge is ignited
3.  blow a fuse See blow
 
—vb
4.  (tr) to provide or equip with such a fuse
 
[C17: from Italian fuso spindle, from Latin fūsus]
 
fuze or fuze1
 
—n
 
—vb
 
[C17: from Italian fuso spindle, from Latin fūsus]
 
'fuseless or fuze1
 
—adj

fuse2 (fjuːz) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb
1.  to unite or become united by melting, esp by the action of heat: to fuse borax and copper sulphate at a high temperature
2.  to become or cause to become liquid, esp by the action of heat; melt
3.  to join or become combined; integrate
4.  (tr) to equip (an electric circuit, plug, etc) with a fuse
5.  (Brit) to fail or cause to fail as a result of the blowing of a fuse: the lights fused
 
—n
6.  a protective device for safeguarding electric circuits, etc, containing a wire that melts and breaks the circuit when the current exceeds a certain value
 
[C17: from Latin fūsus melted, cast, poured out, from fundere to pour out, shed; sense 5 influenced by fuse1]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

fuse
1680s, "to melt," back formation from fusion. Figurative sense of "blending of different things" is first recorded 1776. Related: Fused; fusing.

fuse
also fuze, 1640s, from It. fuso "spindle" (so called because the originals were long, thin tubes filled with gunpowder), from L. fusus "spindle," of uncertain origin. Influenced by Fr. fusée "spindleful of hemp fiber," and obsolete English fusee "musket fired by a fuse." Meaning of "device that
breaks an electrical circuit" first recorded 1884, so named for its shape, but erroneously attributed to fuse (v.) because it melts.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
fuse   (fyz)  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

Noun  

  1. A safety device that protects an electric circuit from becoming overloaded. Fuses contain a length of thin wire (usually of a metal alloy) that melts and breaks the circuit if too much current flows through it. They were traditionally used to protect electronic equipment and prevent fires, but have largely been replaced by circuit breakers.

  2. A cord of readily combustible material that is lighted at one end to carry a flame along its length to detonate an explosive at the other end.


Verb  

  1. To melt something, such as metal or glass, by heating.

  2. To blend two or more substances by melting.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

FUSE definition


A DEC software development environment for ULTRIX, offering an integrated toolkit for developing, testing, debugging and maintenance.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

fuse

see blow a fuse.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Deuterium is easier to fuse than normal hydrogen, and all fusion experiments
  use it.
And while the acetylene torch can leave behind molten metal to fuse back
  together, the oxy-gas torch makes a clean cut.
Once the printing is complete, the structure is left for a day or two, to allow
  the droplets to fuse together.
Trip the breaker or remove the fuse of the circuit containing the switches and
  outlet.
Idioms & Phrases
blow a fuse
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