combustion

American  

[kuhm-buhs-chuhn] / kəmˈbʌs tʃən /

noun

combustions plural

1. the act or process of burning.

2. Chemistry.

   1. rapid oxidation accompanied by heat and, usually, light.

   2. chemical combination attended by production of heat and light.

   3. slow oxidation not accompanied by high temperature and light.

3. violent excitement; tumult.

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combustion British  

/ kəmˈbʌstʃən /

noun

1. the process of burning

2. any process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to produce a significant rise in temperature and the emission of light

3. a chemical process in which two compounds, such as sodium and chlorine, react together to produce heat and light

4. a process in which a compound reacts slowly with oxygen to produce little heat and no light

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combustion Scientific  

/ kəm-bŭs′chən /

1. The process of burning.

2. A chemical change, especially through the rapid combination of a substance with oxygen, producing heat and, usually, light.

3. See also spontaneous combustion

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combustion Cultural  

1. Burning; a chemical reaction that involves the rapid combination of a fuel with oxygen. (See oxidation and spontaneous combustion.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• combustive
  noun
• noncombustion
  noun
• precombustion
  noun
• self-combustion
  noun
• combustive
  adjective
• noncombustive
  adjective
• uncombustive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• combustions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

combustion combustions

It was just a very magical combustion of many different things that all came together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

In a separate statement, the Sikkim government said the accident was caused by "methane gas combustion".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The team simulated how methane, the primary organic compound produced during combustion of Argonaut's propellants, would spread following a landing near the moon's South Pole.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

Anton is likening our work to the work of horses, whose value was eliminated by the internal combustion engine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The accumulated combustion from the buses had thickened the air.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

Insulation adds to the price tag, so the unit itself often acts as an amplifier for the whirring machinery and tiny combustions happening inside.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2022

The 2019 exhibition calendar was unusually crammed with heavily hyped shows, not to mention floating suspense and sudden combustions of fear and loathing.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 9, 2019

New York signs a pair of lesser talents like, say, Jimmy Butler and Kemba Walker, clawing its way toward a semi-interesting mediocrity before lapsing into another of its periodic combustions.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 5, 2019

“The exit in a blaze of glory”, he says of other rockers’ early combustions, “is bullshit.”

From Economist ● Sep. 27, 2016

The third tube 12, 13, 14, 15, is intended for conveying air or gas to any necessary place or apparatus for combustions, combinations, or any other experiment in which it is required.

From Elements of Chemistry, In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries by Lavoisier, Antoine

Related Words

• ignition