combustion

American  

[kuhm-buhs-chuhn] / kəmˈbʌs tʃən /

noun

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

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

Etymology

Origin of combustion

1400–50; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin combūstiōn- (stem of combūstiō ). See combust, -ion

Example Sentences

The need for cooling meant redesigning the combustion chamber itself, and incorporating a new air-to-water heat exchanger.

From The Wall Street Journal

It warned that removing the waste could expose any slow-burning deep-seated fires to open air, risking greater combustion.

From BBC

Small reactors take up little land—the nuclear combustion happens underground—but can produce 300 megawatts, enough to power 300,000 homes a day.

From Barron's

That includes gas-fired reciprocating engines, which are large internal combustion engines fed by natural gas that can provide on-site power.

From Barron's

“We know once somebody drives an EV. They rarely go back to internal combustion engine,” she says, adding that the presence of EV chargers is increasing, which should enable increased EV adoption.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ignition