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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
The culinary equivalent of a beach bonfire right as the sun drops below the horizon.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
The location is Chavenage House, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, where a bonfire scene is to be filmed for season two.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
He obeyed and burned the project files in a bonfire on the beach.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
With all that said, a bonfire composed of burning laptops is a good summation of 2026’s current flavor of anxiety.
From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026
His eyes were continually drawn back to the bonfire.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
