fire
noun
a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.
fire
1 American
[fahyuhr]
/ faɪər /
noun
-
fires
plural
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a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel or other material is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame.
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a burning mass of material, as on a hearth or in a furnace.
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the destructive burning of a building, town, forest, etc.; conflagration.
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heat used for cooking, especially the lighted burner of a stove.
Put the kettle on the fire.
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flashing light; luminous appearance.
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brilliance, as of a gem.
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burning passion; excitement or enthusiasm; ardor.
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liveliness of imagination.
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fever or inflammation.
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severe trial or trouble; ordeal.
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exposure to fire as a means of torture or ordeal.
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strength, as of an alcoholic beverage.
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a spark or sparks.
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the discharge of firearms.
enemy fire.
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the effect of firing military weapons.
to pour fire upon the enemy.
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British. a gas or electric heater used for heating a room.
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Literary. a luminous object, as a star.
heavenly fires.
verb (used with object)
fired,
firing
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to set on fire.
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to supply with fuel or attend to the fire of (often followed byup ).
They fired the boiler.
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to expose to the action of fire; subject to heat.
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to apply heat to in a kiln for baking or glazing; burn.
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to heat very slowly for the purpose of drying, as tea.
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to inflame, as with passion; fill with ardor (often followed byup ).
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to inspire.
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to light or cause to glow as if on fire.
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to discharge (a gun).
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to project (a bullet or the like) by or as if by discharging from a gun.
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to subject to explosion or explosive force, as a mine.
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to cause (a device, machine, etc.) to start working (usually followed byup ).
I just fired up my new laptop.
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to hurl; throw.
to fire a stone through a window.
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to dismiss from a job.
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Veterinary Medicine. to apply a heated iron to (the skin) in order to create a local inflammation of the superficial structures, with the intention of favorably affecting deeper inflammatory processes.
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to drive out or away by or as by fire.
verb (used without object)
fired,
firing
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to take fire; be kindled.
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to glow as if on fire.
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to become inflamed with passion; become excited.
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to shoot, as a gun.
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to discharge a gun.
to fire at a fleeing enemy.
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to hurl a projectile.
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Music. to ring the bells of a chime all at once.
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(of plant leaves) to turn yellow or brown before the plant matures.
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(of an internal-combustion engine) to cause ignition of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder or cylinders.
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(of a nerve cell) to discharge an electric impulse.
adjective
verb phrase
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fire off
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to discharge (as weapons, ammunition, etc.).
Police fired off canisters of tear gas.
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to write and send hurriedly.
She fired off an angry letter to her congressman.
-
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fire away to begin to talk and continue without slackening, as to ask a series of questions.
The reporters fired away at the president.
idioms
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fight fire with fire, to use the same tactics as one's opponent; return like for like.
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take fire,
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to become ignited; burn.
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to become inspired with enthusiasm or zeal.
Everyone who heard him speak immediately took fire.
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set fire to, Also set on fire.
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to cause to burn; ignite.
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to excite; arouse; inflame.
The painting set fire to the composer's imagination.
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play with fire, to trifle with a serious or dangerous matter.
He didn't realize that insulting the border guards was playing with fire.
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build a fire under, to cause or urge to take action, make a decision quickly, or work faster.
If somebody doesn't build a fire under that committee, it will never reach a decision.
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catch (on) fire, to become ignited; burn: The movie set nearly caught on fire when a fire-related special effect went out of control.
The sofa caught fire from a lighted cigarette.
The movie set nearly caught on fire when a fire-related special effect went out of control.
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between two fires, under physical or verbal attack from two or more sides simultaneously.
The senator is between two fires because of his stand on the bill.
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hang fire,
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to be delayed in exploding, or fail to explode.
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to be undecided, postponed, or delayed.
The new housing project is hanging fire because of concerted opposition.
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go through fire and water, to brave any danger or endure any trial.
He said he would go through fire and water to win her hand.
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miss fire,
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to fail to explode or discharge, as a firearm.
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to fail to produce the desired effect; be unsuccessful.
He repeated the joke, but it missed fire the second time.
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on fire,
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ignited; burning; afire.
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eager; ardent; zealous.
They were on fire to prove themselves in competition.
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under fire,
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under attack, especially by military forces.
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under censure or criticism.
The school administration is under fire for its policies.
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catch fire, to create enthusiasm.
His new book did not catch fire among his followers.
FIRE
2
American
[fahyuhr]
/ faɪər /
abbreviation
-
finance, insurance, and real estate: the sector of the economy that revolves around financial transactions of various kinds made by professional agents for their clients.
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financial independence, retire early: a movement among relatively young, well-paid professionals, especially those working in the tech industry, to achieve financial independence and retire early by radically cutting expenses and investing as much of their income and savings as possible.
verb (used without object)
FIREd,
FIREing
fire
British
/ faɪə /
noun
-
the state of combustion in which inflammable material burns, producing heat, flames, and often smoke
-
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a mass of burning coal, wood, etc, used esp in a hearth to heat a room
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( in combination )
firewood
firelighter
-
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a destructive conflagration, as of a forest, building, etc
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a device for heating a room, etc
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something resembling a fire in light or brilliance
a diamond's fire
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a flash or spark of or as if of fire
-
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the act of discharging weapons, artillery, etc
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the shells, etc, fired
-
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a burst or rapid volley
a fire of questions
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intense passion; ardour
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liveliness, as of imagination, thought, etc
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a burning sensation sometimes produced by drinking strong alcoholic liquor
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fever and inflammation
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a severe trial or torment (esp in the phrase go through fire and water )
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to ignite
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to attract the criticism or censure of someone
-
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to delay firing
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to delay or be delayed
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the evidence strongly suggests something has indeed happened
-
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in a state of ignition
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ardent or eager
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informal playing or performing at the height of one's abilities
-
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to start firing a gun, artillery, etc
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to be involved in something risky
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to ignite
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to arouse or excite
-
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informal to cause a great sensation
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being attacked, as by weapons or by harsh criticism
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(modifier) astrology of or relating to a group of three signs of the zodiac, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius Compare earth air water
verb
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to discharge (a firearm or projectile) or (of a firearm, etc) to be discharged
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to detonate (an explosive charge or device) or (of such a charge or device) to be detonated
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informal (tr) to dismiss from employment
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(tr) ceramics to bake in a kiln to harden the clay, fix the glaze, etc
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to kindle or be kindled; ignite
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(tr) to provide with fuel
oil fires the heating system
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(intr) to tend a fire
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(tr) to subject to heat
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(tr) to heat slowly so as to dry
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(tr) to arouse to strong emotion
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to glow or cause to glow
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(intr) (of an internal-combustion engine) to ignite
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(intr) (of grain) to become blotchy or yellow before maturity
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vet science another word for cauterize
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informal (intr) (of a sportsman, etc) to play well or with enthusiasm
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a cry to warn others of a fire
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the order to begin firing a gun, artillery, etc
fire
More Idioms
Usage
What is fire? Fire is what happens when a material is ignited and combined with oxygen, resulting in combustion. This results in light, heat, and a visible effect that usually appears as orange or yellow flames. Fire typically requires three ingredients: heat, fuel (something to burn), and oxygen. Fire is hard to describe since it’s different from the solid, liquid, and gaseous states of matter we’re used to observing (fire is usually a mixture of hot gases, but sometimes it’s a plasma, depending on what’s burning). But you know it when you see it: if you’ve ever lit a match or candle or burned wood in a fireplace, you’ve created fire. We describe an instance of fire as a fire, as in a fire in the fireplace or a house fire. If something is burning or consumed by fire, we say it is on fire, as in The stove is on fire. Fire can also be used metaphorically, such as to refer to intensity or extreme passion, as in The fire in my heart. It’s also commonly used in many idioms and expressions (such as fight fire with fire and playing with fire), and, more recently, as a slang term meaning awesome (as in Those shoes are fire). As a verb, fire commonly means to discharge a gun or to dismiss someone from a job. Fire has many other, more specific meanings as both a noun and a verb, and most of them are related in some way to literal fire. Example: The boss fired Dave after he fired a starter pistol inside the office, causing the ceiling to catch on fire.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of fire
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English fȳr; cognate with Old Norse fūrr, German Feuer, Greek pŷr ( see pyro-); (verb) Middle English firen “to kindle, inflame,” derivative of the noun; see igneous ( def. )
Explanation
If you gather kindling and logs and burn them, then you've made a fire. For safety, you should make your fire in a fire pit or fireplace, but for fun, you can toast marshmallows over the fire. As a verb, fire can mean to discharge a weapon. Your hometown might fire a cannon on the common each year to celebrate the Fourth of July. Rather than use a real cannonball, they probably fire it with blanks. The verb fire can also mean to terminate from a position of employment. It's no fun to have to fire someone, especially the guy you fire is your brother.
Vocabulary lists containing fire
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.
See Examples For:
Firefighters would arrive on scene with a ready picture of the structure from all angles, saving critical time and keeping critical manpower on fire attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“I’ve had multiple phone calls from harbor masters and fire chiefs in Southern California over the past week, saying, ‘Why is the harbor flooding?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
"We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was here millennia ago," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ground stations spread across more than 20 countries fire lasers at the satellites and precisely measure the returning signals.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Peter was busy piling more wood on the fire.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
ACA is holding your feet to the FIRE.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
“It’s still FIRE, just on your terms,” she said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
It looks like they are making an effort to protect free speech, said Sean Stevens, who runs the rankings for FIRE.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, has collected other egregious examples from around the continent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2025
When he was ready to set off a blast, he yelled, "FIRE IN THE HOLE," and everybody took cover, and the most reliable cover was a lot of distance.
From The Life of Me; an autobiography by Clarence Edgar Johnson
In Singapore, iconic landmarks are being shrouded in toxic haze from the fires.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The conference follows deadly heatwaves and fires in Europe, catastrophic floods in Nepal and record temperatures around the world, testing whether the United Nations-backed talks can keep pace with reality.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Bigger trees are more resistant to fires, so when the next fire occurs, they are more likely to survive.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
“Like lead in the water in Flint, Mich., and the forest fires out West, the very fabric of our lives is being altered.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
They think I’m the kind of kid who starts fires on purpose.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
A raft of military commanders were later fired, and Israel's domestic intelligence chief left his position.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
A police union source said he picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot officers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
OpenAI previously fired researchers for allegedly sharing information about rogue agents, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The agency’s operator was recently sued by a former executive who was fired earlier this year after raising concerns about train safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
He didn’t need to remind her who had fired her.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Which means you have to find your emotional connection, and that’s likely going to generate from whatever synapses are firing up in the memory bank.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
On tabletops with less abstract design, such as one with a skull depicted, differences in glazing and firing mean there are variations in the hue and colors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
On May 6, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker, Hasna, by firing several rounds from a 20 mm cannon gun, according to Centcom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Let's not pull any punches here. I'm firing on all cylinders at the moment. I feel fantastic. I'm 38 years young."
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Mr. Best responded by firing everyone and bringing in strikebreakers from other camps.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
