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spontaneous combustion
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noun
the ignition of a substance or body from the rapid oxidation of its own constituents without heat from any external source.
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Origin of spontaneous combustion
First recorded in 1800–10
Words nearby spontaneous combustion
sponsored content, sponsorship, spontaneity, spontaneous, spontaneous abortion, spontaneous combustion, spontaneous generation, spontaneously, spontaneous recovery, spontoon, spoof
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spontaneous combustion in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for spontaneous combustion
spontaneous combustion
noun
the ignition of a substance or body as a result of internal oxidation processes, without the application of an external source of heat, occurring in finely powdered ores, coal, straw, etc
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
Scientific definitions for spontaneous combustion
spontaneous combustion
The bursting into flame of a mass of material as a result of chemical reactions within the substance, without the addition of heat from an external source. Oily rags and damp hay, for example, are subject to spontaneous combustion.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for spontaneous combustion
spontaneous combustion
A process by which a collection of materials (such as oily rags) catches fire without the application of heat from outside. The oxidation of substances in the materials starts the fire.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.