combustion
Americannoun
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the act or process of burning.
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Chemistry.
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rapid oxidation accompanied by heat and, usually, light.
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chemical combination attended by production of heat and light.
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slow oxidation not accompanied by high temperature and light.
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violent excitement; tumult.
noun
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the process of burning
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any process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce a significant rise in temperature and the emission of light
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a chemical process in which two compounds, such as sodium and chlorine, react together to produce heat and light
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a process in which a compound reacts slowly with oxygen to produce little heat and no light
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The process of burning.
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A chemical change, especially through the rapid combination of a substance with oxygen, producing heat and, usually, light.
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See also spontaneous combustion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of combustion
1400–50; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin combūstiōn- (stem of combūstiō ). See combust, -ion
Explanation
Combustion means "the act of burning," like the combustion of fallen leaves that, if not extinguished immediately, can result in a forest fire. Combustion derives from the Latin word comburere, which means "to burn up." Matches, kindling, paper, and lighter fluid can be tools for combustion. In chemistry terms, combustion is any process in which a substance combines with oxygen to produce heat and light. Cars run because their engines use combustion to get the cylinders to fire.
Vocabulary lists containing combustion
ACT Vocabulary List
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act II
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Inferno Lingo: Fire Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Combustion engines are expected to make up 40% of its 2030 lineup, a greater share than the 20% it targeted at the 2022 investor day, with the share of hybrid models still expected at 40%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Combustion vehicle unit chief Kumar Galhotra was promoted to chief operating officer.
From Washington Times • Oct. 18, 2023
The group's paper, "Powerful, Soft Combustion Actuators for Insect-Scale Robots," was published Sept. 14 in Science.
From Science Daily • Sep. 19, 2023
For example, she notes that China is now the largest affiliate of the international Combustion Institute, an academic society with chapters around the world that she recently led.
From Science Magazine • Sep. 10, 2019
Combustion was lip-close when the cigar-end was thrown away.
From When Ghost Meets Ghost by De Morgan, William Frend
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
