ignition

[ig-nish-uhn]

noun

1. the act or fact of igniting; state of being ignited.

2. a means or device for igniting.

3. (in an internal-combustion engine) the process that ignites the fuel in the cylinder.

ignition

/ ɪɡˈnɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of initiating combustion

2. the process of igniting the fuel in an internal-combustion engine

3. the devices used to ignite the fuel in an internal-combustion engine

Other Word Forms

• reignition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ignition¹

1605–15; Medieval Latin ignītiōn- (stem of ignītiō ) a setting on fire. See ignite, -ion

Example Sentences

Recovery from the fires is slow but ongoing, said Stacy Mitchell, who lives just a mile from the fire’s ignition point.

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“It finds an ignition source, and a fire results,” Lipow said.

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A two-seat motorized cart with a key left in the ignition was stolen Sept. 28 from the stadium.

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The report also claims that the fire entered west Altadena as wind speeds increased, describing it as a “more densely populated” area with older homes built with materials that were “more vulnerable to ignition.”

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Experts warn that hotter temperatures are making the land drier and more prone to ignition.

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Related Words

• blast 
• burst 
• detonation 
• firing 
• outbreak 
• outburst