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burn

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Burn means to be on fire, to be destroyed by fire or to give off light.

(verb)

An example of to burn is when a pile of oily rags catches on fire.
An example of to burn is to be injured after sticking your hand in a fire.
An example of to burn is for a candle to create a flame.

The definition of a burn is a place or area destroyed or damage by fire.

(noun)

An example of a burn is a mark on one's finger from touching a flame.

See burn in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb burned or burnt, burning

to set on fire or subject to combustion, as in order to produce heat, light, or power
to destroy by fire
to put to death by fire
to injure or damage by fire or something with the effect of fire, as intense heat, friction, or acid; scorch, singe, scald, etc.
to consume as fuel: to burn much gasoline
to transform (body fat, etc.) into energy by metabolism
to sunburn
to brand
to cauterize
to harden or glaze (bricks, pottery, etc.) by fire; fire
to cause by fire, heat, etc.: to burn a hole in a coat
to cause a sensation of heat in: the horseradish burns the throat
to use (candles, lights, heaters, etc.)
Comput., Informal to copy (data, a digital sound file, etc.) onto (a compact disc) by means of a laser
☆ Slang to electrocute
Slang
1. to cheat, swindle, or rob
2. to cause to suffer through misplaced trust or confidence: usually used in the passive

Origin: ME brennen, bernen, burnen < ON & OE: ON brenna, to burn, light; OE bærnan, to kindle (akin to Goth brannjan, to cause to burn) & beornan, to be on fire, metathetic < Gmc *brinnan < IE *bhre-n-u- < base *bhereu-, to boil forth, well up > bourn, bread, L fervere, Welsh brydis, to boil

intransitive verb

to be on fire; flame; blaze
to undergo combustion
to give out light or heat; shine; glow
to be destroyed by fire or heat
to be injured or damaged by or as by fire or heat; become scorched, singed, etc.
to die by fire
to feel hot
to be excited or inflamed, as with desire, anger, etc.
☆ Slang to be electrocuted

noun

an injury or damage caused by fire, heat, radiation, wind, caustics, etc.: in medicine, burns are classified as , reddening, , blistering, and , destruction of the skin and the tissues under it
the process or result of burning, as in brick making
☆ a single firing of a rocket or thruster on a space vehicle

noun

Scot. a brook

Origin: ME burne, bourn

See burn in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb burned burned or burnt (bûrnt), burn·ing, burns

verb, transitive

a. To cause to undergo combustion.
b. To destroy with fire: burned the trash; burn a house down.
c. To consume (fuel or energy, for example): burned all the wood that winter.
Physics To cause to undergo nuclear fission or fusion.
To damage or injure by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent: burned the toast; burned my skin with the acid.
a. To execute or kill with fire: burning heretics at the stake.
b. To execute by electrocution.
a. To make or produce by fire or heat: burn a hole in the rug.
b. To dispel; dissipate: The sun burned off the fog.
a. To use as a fuel: a furnace that burns coal.
b. To metabolize (glucose, for example) in the body.
To impart a sensation of intense heat to: The chili burned my mouth.
a. To irritate or inflame, as by chafing or sunburn.
b. To let (oneself or a part of one's body) become sunburned.
To brand (an animal).
To engrave or make indelible by as or as if by burning: The image of the accident was burned into my memory.
To harden or impart a finish to by subjecting to intense heat; fire: burn clay pots in a kiln.
To make angry: That remark really burns me.
a. To defeat in a contest, especially by a narrow margin.
b. Sports To outplay or score on (an opponent), especially through quick or deceptive movement.
c. To inflict harm or hardship on; hurt: “Huge loan losses have burned banks in recent years” (Christian Science Monitor).
d. To swindle or deceive; cheat: We really got burned on the used car we bought.
To record data on (a compact disk, for example).

verb, intransitive

a. To undergo combustion.
b. To admit of burning: Wood burns easily.
To consume fuel: a rocket stage designed to burn for three minutes before being jettisoned.
Physics To undergo nuclear fission or fusion.
a. To emit heat or light by or as if by fire: campfires burning in the dark; the sun burning brightly in the sky.
b. To become dissipated or to be dispelled by or as if by heat: The fog burned off as the sun came up.
To give off light; shine: a light burning over the door.
To be destroyed, injured, damaged, or changed by or as if by fire: a house that burned to the ground; eggs that burned and stuck to the pan.
a. To be very hot; bake: a desert burning under the midday sun.
b. To feel or look hot: a child burning with fever.
c. To impart a sensation of heat: a liniment that burns when first applied.
a. To become irritated or painful, as by chafing or inflammation: eyes burning from the smoke.
b. To become sunburned or windburned.
To be consumed with strong emotion, especially:
a. To be or become angry: an insult that really made me burn.
b. To be very eager: was burning with ambition.
To penetrate by or as if by intense heat or flames: enemy ground radar burning through the fighters' electronic jammers; a look that burned into them.
To be engraved by or as if by burning: shame burning in my heart.
a. To suffer punishment or death by or as if by fire: souls burning in hell.
b. To be electrocuted.

noun

An injury produced by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
A burned place or area: a cigarette burn in the tablecloth.
An act, process, or result of burning: The fire settled down to a steady burn.
A sensation of intense heat or stinging pain: a chili burn on the tongue; the burn of alcohol on an open wound.
A sunburn or windburn.
Aerospace A firing of a rocket.
A swindle.

Phrasal Verbs: burn in To darken part of (a photograph print) by exposing unmasked areas. burn out To stop burning from lack of fuel. To wear out or make or become inoperative as a result of heat or friction: The short circuit burned out the fuse. To cause (a property owner or a resident) to have to evacuate the premises because of fire: The shopkeeper was burned out by arsonists. To make or become exhausted, especially as a result of long-term stress: “Hours are long, stress is high, and many recruits drop out or burn out” (Robert J. Samuelson). burn up To make angry: Their rudeness really burns me up. To travel over or through at high speed: drag racers burning up the track.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English burnen

Origin: , from Old English beornan, to be on fire,

Origin: and from bǽrnan, to set on fire; see g^wher- in Indo-European roots

noun
Scots

A small stream; a brook.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English burna; see bhreu- in Indo-European roots

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