bonfire
Americannoun
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a large fire built in the open air, for warmth, entertainment, or celebration, to burn leaves, garbage, etc., or as a signal.
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any fire built in the open.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bonfire
1375–1425; late Middle English bone fire, i.e., a fire with bones for fuel
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.
She picked a lettuce and a tomato for a salad and dug up a sweet potato to bake in a celebration bonfire, with fresh limpets from the rocks and coconut for dessert.
From Literature
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"We'll have a bonfire in the field, fresh cider, real costumes—no store-bought stuff allowed!"
From Literature
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The sky pulsed red with the glow of a distant Guy Fawkes Night bonfire, and a cold, wet fog sat heavily on the town of Inverness.
Masked protesters are seen taking cover behind wheelie bins and bonfires, while a row of security forces is seen in the distance.
From BBC
Derderian said she expects an uptick in potentially dangerous warming bonfires, noting that “in the past, we’ve seen people that will throw firewood into a washing machine drum.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.