incinerate

[ in-sin-uh-reyt ]

/ ɪnˈsɪn əˌreɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incinerate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·cin·er·at·ed, in·cin·er·at·ing.

to burn or reduce to ashes; cremate.

Nearby words

incidental music, incidental parasite, incidentally, incidentaloma, incienso, incinerate, incinerator, incipiency, incipient, incipit, incircle

Origin of incinerate

1545–55; < Medieval Latin incinerātus (past participle of incinerāre) < Latin in- in-² + ciner- (stem of cinis) ashes + -ātus -ate¹

Related forms

in·cin·er·a·tion, nounun·in·cin·er·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for incinerate

The soldiers, under the partial protection of the turn, could incinerate the helpless technies with little danger to themselves.
Astounding Stories, August, 1931|Various
Also, we incinerate our victims—again, with full governmental permission.
This Crowded Earth|Robert Bloch
The Uaupes in the Amazons incinerate a corpse a month after death, pound up the ashes, and mix them with their fermented drink.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various
To incinerate is to reduce to ashes; the sense differs little from that of cremate, but it is in less popular use.
English Synonyms and Antonyms|James Champlin Fernald

Encountering another globe, our sun would doubtless produce so much heat as to incinerate all planetary life.
Woman and Womanhood|C. W. Saleeby

British Dictionary definitions for incinerate

incinerate

/ (ɪnˈsɪnəˌreɪt) /

verb

to burn up completely; reduce to ashes

Derived Forms

incineration, noun

Word Origin for incinerate

C16: from Medieval Latin incinerāre, from Latin in- ² + cinis ashes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012