hang fire

- 5 dictionary results

fire

[fahy^uh

noun, verb, fired, fir⋅ing.

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–noun

1.	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.

2.	a burning mass of material, as on a hearth or in a furnace.

3.	the destructive burning of a building, town, forest, etc.; conflagration.

4.	heat used for cooking, esp. the lighted burner of a stove: Put the kettle on the fire.

5.	Greek fire.

6.	flashing light; luminous appearance.

7.	brilliance, as of a gem.

8.	burning passion; excitement or enthusiasm; ardor.

9.	liveliness of imagination.

10.	fever or inflammation.

11.	severe trial or trouble; ordeal.

12.	exposure to fire as a means of torture or ordeal.

13.	strength, as of an alcoholic beverage.

14.	a spark or sparks.

15.	the discharge of firearms: enemy fire.

16.	the effect of firing military weapons: to pour fire upon the enemy.

17.	British. a gas or electric heater used for heating a room.

18.	Literary. a luminous object, as a star: heavenly fires.

–verb (used with object)

19.	to set on fire.

20.	to supply with fuel; attend to the fire of: They fired the boiler.

21.	to expose to the action of fire; subject to heat.

22.	to apply heat to in a kiln for baking or glazing; burn.

23.	to heat very slowly for the purpose of drying, as tea.

24.	to inflame, as with passion; fill with ardor.

25.	to inspire.

26.	to light or cause to glow as if on fire.

27.	to discharge (a gun).

28.	to project (a bullet or the like) by or as if by discharging from a gun.

29.	to subject to explosion or explosive force, as a mine.

30.	to hurl; throw: to fire a stone through a window.

31.	to dismiss from a job.

32.	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.

33.	to drive out or away by or as by fire.

–verb (used without object)

34.	to take fire; be kindled.

35.	to glow as if on fire.

36.	to become inflamed with passion; become excited.

37.	to shoot, as a gun.

38.	to discharge a gun: to fire at a fleeing enemy.

39.	to hurl a projectile.

40.	Music. to ring the bells of a chime all at once.

41.	(of plant leaves) to turn yellow or brown before the plant matures.

42.	(of an internal-combustion engine) to cause ignition of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder or cylinders.

43.	(of a nerve cell) to discharge an electric impulse.

—Verb phrases

44.	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.

51.

hang fire,

a.	to be delayed in exploding, or fail to explode.

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

52.

miss fire,

a.	to fail to explode or discharge, as a firearm.

b.	to fail to produce the desired effect; be unsuccessful: He repeated the joke, but it missed fire the second time.

53.

on fire,

a.	ignited; burning; afire.

b.	eager; ardent; zealous: They were on fire to prove themselves in competition.

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

55.

set fire to,

a.	to cause to burn; ignite.

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

Also, set on fire.

56.

take fire,

a.	to become ignited; burn.

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

57.

under fire,

a.	under attack, esp. by military forces.

b.	under censure or criticism: The school administration is under fire for its policies.

Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE fȳr; c. ON fūrr, G Feuer, Gk pŷr (see pyro- ); (v.) ME firen to kindle, inflame, deriv. of the n.

Related forms:

firer, noun

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hang (hāng)

v. hung (hŭng), hang·ing, hangs

v. tr.

To fasten from above with no support from below; suspend.
To suspend or fasten so as to allow free movement at or about the point of suspension: hang a door.
past tense and past participle hanged (hāngd)
1. To execute by suspending by the neck: They hanged the prisoner at dawn.
2. Used to express exasperation or disgust: I'll be hanged! Hang it all!
3. To attach to a wall: hang wallpaper.
4. To display, as in a gallery or office: hung four new paintings in the foyer.
To fix or attach at an appropriate angle: hang a scythe to its handle.
To alter the hem of (a garment) so as to fall evenly at a specified height.
To furnish, decorate, or appoint by suspending objects around or about: hang a room with curtains.
To hold or incline downward; let droop: hang one's head in sorrow.
Informal To make (a turn in a specific direction): At the next intersection, hang a right.
1. To attach to a wall: hang wallpaper.
2. To display, as in a gallery or office: hung four new paintings in the foyer.
Informal To give (a nickname or label) to someone.
To deadlock (a jury) by failing to render a unanimous verdict.
Baseball To throw (a pitch) in such a manner as to fail to break.
Computer Science To cause (a computer system) to halt so that input devices, such as the keyboard or the mouse, do not function.

v. intr.

To be attached from above with no support from below.
To die as a result of hanging.
To remain suspended or poised over a place or an object; hover: rain clouds hanging low over the corn fields.
To attach oneself as a dependent or an impediment; cling.
To incline downward; droop.
To depend: Everything hangs on the committee's decision.
To pay strict attention: a student who hangs on the professor's every word.
To remain unresolved or uncertain: His future hung in the balance.
To fit the body in loose lines: a dress that hangs well.
To be on display, as in a gallery.
Baseball To fail to break or move in the intended way, as a curve ball.
To be imminent; loom: the threat hanging over us.
To be or become burdensome. Time hung heavy on my hands.
Computer Science To be halted, as a computer system, so that input devices do not function: The power surge caused my computer to hang, so I had to reboot it.
Slang
1. To spend one's free time in a certain place. Often used with around or out: liked to hang out at the pool hall.
2. To pass time idly; loiter. Often used with around or out: spent the evening hanging at home; hung out for an hour before going to the play.
3. To keep company; see socially. Often used with around or out: hangs around with kids from a different school.

The way in which something hangs.
A downward inclination or slope.
Particular meaning or significance.
Informal The proper method for doing, using, or handling something: finally got the hang of it.
A suspension of motion; a slackening.
To cling tightly to something.
To continue persistently; persevere.
To keep a telephone connection open.
To wait for a short period of time.
To stand united; stick together: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately" (Benjamin Franklin).
To constitute a coherent totality: diverse plot lines that did not hang together.
To suspend on a hook or hanger.
1. To replace (a telephone receiver) on its base or cradle.
2. To end a telephone conversation.
3. To delay or impede; hinder: Budget problems hung up the project for months.
4. To become halted or snagged: The fishing line hung up on a rock.
5. Informal To have or cause to have emotional difficulties or inhibitions.
1. To delay or impede; hinder: Budget problems hung up the project for months.
2. To become halted or snagged: The fishing line hung up on a rock.
3. Informal To have or cause to have emotional difficulties or inhibitions.

Phrasal Verb(s):
hang backTo be averse; hold back.
hang in Informal To persevere: decided to hang in despite his illness.
hang offTo hold back; be averse.
hang on

To cling tightly to something.
To continue persistently; persevere.
To keep a telephone connection open.
To wait for a short period of time.

hang together

To stand united; stick together: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately" (Benjamin Franklin).
To constitute a coherent totality: diverse plot lines that did not hang together.

hang up

To suspend on a hook or hanger.
1. To replace (a telephone receiver) on its base or cradle.
2. To end a telephone conversation.
3. To delay or impede; hinder: Budget problems hung up the project for months.
4. To become halted or snagged: The fishing line hung up on a rock.
5. Informal To have or cause to have emotional difficulties or inhibitions.
1. To delay or impede; hinder: Budget problems hung up the project for months.
2. To become halted or snagged: The fishing line hung up on a rock.
3. Informal To have or cause to have emotional difficulties or inhibitions.

Idiom(s):
give/care a hangTo be concerned or anxious: I don't give a hang what you do.

Idiom(s):
hang fire

To delay: "They are people who hung fire even through the bloody days of the Hungarian Revolution" (Mark Muro).
To be slow in firing, as a gun.

Idiom(s):
hang in there Informal To persevere despite difficulties; persist: She hung in there despite pressure to resign.

Idiom(s):
hang it up Informal To give up; quit.

Idiom(s):
hang loose Slang To stay calm or relaxed.

Idiom(s):
hang (one's) hatTo settle oneself; take up residence: hung my hat in Chicago.

Idiom(s):
hang on toTo hold firmly; keep fast: Hang on to your money.

Idiom(s):
hang tough Informal To remain firmly resolved: "We are going to hang tough on this" (Donald T. Regan).

Idiom(s):
let it all hang out Slang

To be completely relaxed.
To be completely candid.

[Middle English hongen, from Old English hangian, to be suspended, and from hōn, to hang; see konk- in Indo-European roots.]
hang'a·ble adj.

Usage Note: Hanged, as a past tense and a past participle of hang, is used in the sense of "to put to death by hanging," as in Frontier courts hanged many a prisoner after a summary trial. A majority of the Usage Panel objects to hung used in this sense. In all other senses of the word, hung is the preferred form as past tense and past participle, as in I hung my child's picture above my desk.

Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ²fire
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: fired; fir·ing
transitive senses
1 : to cause to transmit a nerveimpulse
2 : to sear (the leg of a horse) with a hot iron in order to convert a crippling chronic inflammation into an acute inflammation that will stimulate the natural healingresponses of the body fire intransitive senses
: to transmit a nerve impulse fires>

Medical Dictionary

fire (fīr)
v. fired, fir·ing, fires
To generate an electrical impulse. Used of a neuron.

Idioms & Phrases

hang fire

Delay, as in The advertising campaign is hanging fire until they decide how much to spend on it. This expression originally referred to the 17th-century flintlock musket, where the priming powder ignited but often failed to explode the main charge, a result called hanging fire. [c. 1800]

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