ig·nite

[ig-nahyt] verb, ig·nit·ed, ig·nit·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
to set on fire; kindle.
2.
Chemistry. to heat intensely; roast.
verb (used without object)
3.
to take fire; begin to burn.

Origin:
1660–70; < Latin ignītus (past participle of ignīre to set on fire, ignite), equivalent to ign(is) fire + -ītus -ite2

ig·nit·a·ble, ig·nit·i·ble, adjective
ig·nit·a·bil·i·ty, ig·nit·i·bil·i·ty, noun
non·ig·nit·a·bil·i·ty, noun
non·ig·nit·a·ble, adjective
non·ig·nit·i·bil·i·ty, noun
non·ig·nit·i·ble, adjective
re·ig·nite, verb (used with object), re·ig·nit·ed, re·ig·nit·ing.
un·ig·nit·a·ble, adjective
un·ig·nit·ed, adjective
un·ig·nit·ing, adjective


1. See kindle1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To ignite
00:10
Ignite is always a great word to know.
So is catalyst. Does it mean:
selecting for combination or action; tending to combine with certain substances in preference to others, such as elective attraction
a substance that causes a chemical reaction without itself being affected
Collins
World English Dictionary
ignite (ɪɡˈnaɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to catch fire or set fire to; burn or cause to burn
2.  (tr) chem to heat strongly
3.  (tr) to stimulate or provoke: the case has ignited a nationwide debate
 
[C17: from Latin ignīre to set alight, from ignis fire]
 
ig'nitable
 
adj
 
ig'nitible
 
adj
 
ignita'bility
 
n
 
igniti'bility
 
n

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

ignite
1646 (implied in ignitable), from L. ignitus, pp. of ignire "set fire." Attested earlier as an adj. (1560). Ignition is from 1612, "act of heating to the point of combustion;" meaning "means of sparking an internal combustion engine" is from 1881.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
At the fire exhibit they can ignite a high flame and simultaneously activate overhead sprinklers.
To ignite growth, a country must fire the animal spirits of its industrialists.
Fire-Safe cigarettes can still ignite furniture or bedding.
Hot firebrands ultimately come to rest and may ignite fuels far removed from the fire, resulting in fire spread.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT