fuse

¹ American  

[fyooz] / fyuz /

noun

1. a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.

2. fuze.

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verb (used with object)

fused, fusing

1. fuze.

idioms

1. have a short fuse, to anger easily; have a quick temper.

fuse ² American  

[fyooz] / fyuz /

noun

1. Electricity. a protective device, used in an electric circuit, containing a conductor that melts under heat produced by an excess current, thereby opening the circuit.

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verb (used with object)

fused, fusing

1. to combine or blend by melting together; melt.

2. to unite or blend into a whole, as if by melting together.

   The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.

verb (used without object)

fused, fusing

1. to become liquid under the action of heat; melt.

   At a relatively low temperature the metal will fuse.

2. to become united or blended.

   The two groups fused to create one strong union.

3. Chiefly British. to overload an electric circuit so as to burn out a fuse.

idioms

1. blow a fuse, to lose one's temper; become enraged.

   If I'm late again, they'll blow a fuse.

fuse ¹ British  

/ fjuːz /

verb

1. to unite or become united by melting, esp by the action of heat

   to fuse borax and copper sulphate at a high temperature

2. to become or cause to become liquid, esp by the action of heat; melt

3. to join or become combined; integrate

4. (tr) to equip (an electric circuit, plug, etc) with a fuse

5. to fail or cause to fail as a result of the blowing of a fuse

   the lights fused

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noun

1. a protective device for safeguarding electric circuits, etc, containing a wire that melts and breaks the circuit when the current exceeds a certain value

fuse ² British  

/ fjuːz /

noun

1. a lead of combustible black powder in a waterproof covering ( safety fuse ), or a lead containing an explosive ( detonating fuse ), used to fire an explosive charge

2. any device by which an explosive charge is ignited

3. See blow 1

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verb

1. (tr) to provide or equip with such a fuse

fuse Scientific  

/ fyo̅o̅z /

1. A safety device that protects an electric circuit from becoming overloaded. Fuses contain a length of thin wire (usually of a metal alloy) that melts and breaks the circuit if too much current flows through it. They were traditionally used to protect electronic equipment and prevent fires, but have largely been replaced by circuit breakers.

2. A cord of readily combustible material that is lighted at one end to carry a flame along its length to detonate an explosive at the other end.

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1. To melt something, such as metal or glass, by heating.

2. To blend two or more substances by melting.

fuse More Idioms  

1. see blow a fuse.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of fuse? Fuse means to unite or blend together. Fuse also refers to a protective device in an electrical current and to a tube or cord used to light explosives. Fuse is used in metalworking and similar industries to refer to combining metals by melting them down into liquids. In everyday use, fuse is used figuratively to mean to combine or unite anything as if they were melted together. For example, a band might fuse metal and electronic music to make a unique sound. Something that has been made by fusing things together is called a fusion.

• Real-life examples: Copper scraps can be fused together to make wires. Science fiction often fuses real science with fictional ideas. A mad scientist might fuse animals together to make monsters.
• Used in a sentence: The two kingdoms fused together to create a powerful nation. 

As a noun, fuse refers to a safety device designed to protect electrical equipment from melting or catching on fire. A fuse usually resembles a small rod or wire that is designed to melt from the heat of an electrical current that is moving too fast. Once the fuse melts, the electrical circuit is broken. This stops the current from moving and protects the more expensive or dangerous equipment from melting or catching on fire. Fuses are an extremely common safety device (alongside circuit breakers) and are usually kept in a fuse box located in a remote part of a house or building. The phrase blow a fuse comes from this sense of fuse.

• Real-life examples: Your house may have a fuse box that you can open to replace damaged fuses. Electronic devices such as televisions and computers almost always have fuses to prevent fires or explosions caused by electricity.
• Used in a sentence: The computer technician had to replace several blown fuses in the motherboard.  

The word fuse also refers to a cord, wire, rope, or similar object that is lit on fire in order to ignite an explosive. The purpose of a fuse is to delay an explosion.

• Real-life examples: Almost all fireworks have fuses to prevent them from exploding immediately, such as in a person’s hand. An explosive weapon such as a bomb might have a fuse so the user can run away before it explodes. Explosives used in manufacturing or mining, such as dynamite, may also have fuses for the same reason.
• Used in a sentence: She lit the fuse of the giant firecracker. 

Related Words

See melt ¹.

Other Word Forms

• fuseless adjective
• fuselike adjective

Etymology

Origin of fuse¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from Italian fuso, from Latin fūsus “spindle” (i.e., a spindle-shaped tube filled with combustible matter)

Origin of fuse²

First recorded in 1675–85 for the verb; from Latin fūsus “melted, poured, cast,” past participle of fundere

Example Sentences

A deal between Brown-Forman and either Pernod Ricard or Sazerac would fuse two companies that are each under considerable family control.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

The battle group’s youngest members are showing a proclivity for using new tech to solve problems; one soldier recently 3-D-printed a replacement for a broken fuse box cover.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Because condensates behave like liquids that can fuse, flow, and quickly exchange components, scientists long believed they were simple, unstructured droplets.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

She could not have known it would fuse her into the public’s consciousness as a devoted mother figure.

From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026

Eventually, the star gets so hot and dense that the hydrogen atoms stick to one another and fuse, creating helium and releasing large quantities of energy.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• blend
• coalesce
• combine
• dissolve
• integrate
• melt
• merge
• mingle
• weld