fuse
1 Americannoun
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a tube, cord, or the like, filled or saturated with combustible matter, for igniting an explosive.
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fuze.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
verb (used with object)
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to combine or blend by melting together; melt.
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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)
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to become liquid under the action of heat; melt.
At a relatively low temperature the metal will fuse.
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to become united or blended.
The two groups fused to create one strong union.
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Chiefly British. to overload an electric circuit so as to burn out a fuse.
idioms
verb
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to unite or become united by melting, esp by the action of heat
to fuse borax and copper sulphate at a high temperature
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to become or cause to become liquid, esp by the action of heat; melt
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to join or become combined; integrate
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(tr) to equip (an electric circuit, plug, etc) with a fuse
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to fail or cause to fail as a result of the blowing of a fuse
the lights fused
noun
noun
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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
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any device by which an explosive charge is ignited
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See blow 1
verb
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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 They were traditionally used to protect electronic equipment and prevent fires, but have largely been replaced by circuit breakers.
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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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To melt something, such as metal or glass, by heating.
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To blend two or more substances by melting.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Synonym Usage
See melt 1.
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
A fuse is something that burns in order to ignite a bomb. Do you see anything near you that resembles a bundle of dynamite sticks with a fuse burning down? If so, stop reading this and GET OUT OF HERE! Figuratively, if you say that someone has a short fuse, it means they get angry easily. If someone gets so angry they lose their temper, you can say that they blew a fuse. But this comes from another meaning of fuse — a device that interrupts the flow of electrical current so the system doesn’t get overloaded. If you use the toaster, microwave and dishwasher at the same time, you might literally blow a fuse. As a verb, if two things fuse, they blend or stick together.
Vocabulary lists containing fuse
ACT Vocabulary List
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Fish in a Tree
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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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:
These insights into Alice’s personality don’t excuse her short fuse, but they do mark her as worthy of redemption.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
Sometimes mitochondria fuse together into large interconnected networks that generate energy efficiently.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
While these are in many respects traditional songs, this is music that hits you on a subliminal level, where a series of major traumas and minor victories fuse into a bleak worldview streaked with hope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
But the fourth affair has lit a fuse leading to the highest reaches of the justice system.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
He lit another match and bent toward the fuse.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Their vertebrae fused, while mineral deposits caused the tissue between the bones to become abnormally hard.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
But he also doesn’t expect to see a repeat of such a day, given so many factors had fused together to drive Friday’s action.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
“They had pieces of my studio fused to them. Iron, glass. … Literally anything around it that melted and could not turn to ash got stuck to them,” Bayouth said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The soundtrack, by Skye-based Valstos, fused trad and electronic music and mixed in samples from the country's musical traditions.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Throughout the long and con- fused day, wherever I went, I met black people with grief and rage in their eyes.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
He’s more positive about robotic brains becoming better at fusing multiple sources of data and turning that into action toward the end of this decade.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026
Mr. Ross processes his voice with a bit of distortion to make it sound like a bullhorn, fusing his vocals with the guitars and typically keeping his singing low in the mix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
On food, the mainland is fusing with Hong Kong.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
In response, he studied up on dance music and workshopped fusing the Miami bass of “Rich Baby Daddy” with French club tones, progressive metal bass, and modern hip-pop.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
During most of its life, a star is in an uneasy equilibrium: the propensity to collapse under its own gravity is balanced by the energy that comes from the fusing hydrogen in its center.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
