noun
-
the process of baking ceramics, etc, in a kiln or furnace
a second firing
-
the act of stoking a fire or furnace
-
a discharge of a firearm
-
something used as fuel, such as coal or wood
-
a scorching of plants, as a result of disease, drought, or heat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of firing
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at fire, -ing 1
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:
A similar debate played out in February over ICE agents’ use of the the city of Escondido’s firing range.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
I can imagine diehard Green Lantern fans firing up their rebuttals as they read this.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
After Gillis’s “SNL” firing, Quibi didn’t want him involved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The release of the body camera footage by Attorney General Letitia James on Dec. 27 led to the firing of 13 guards and the indictment of six by a grand jury.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Mariya Smirnova, the squadron commander, noticed the silence and reasoned—correctly—that the only reason the antiaircraft guns would stop firing was because there must be German night fighter aircraft patrolling the sky.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
![]()
The firings leave the four-member commission with no commissioners, meaning it cannot take official action until new members are installed.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
The hotel didn’t respond to a request for comment on the firings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Each of these firings would be litigated, and the results are likely to be contradictory and confusing.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
A majority of Supreme Court justices allowed Trump’s firings of other independent federal agency leaders to go forward.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
“Now, with the firings of seven principals, three secretaries and thirty-four teachers, including my own husband, I realize it is no longer enough for me to think these things. I need to say them.”
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
![]()
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.