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fire

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Fire is defined as flames, or a burning sensation in the body, or something that is burning, or strong enthusiasm.

(noun)

When you strike a match, the flames that you see are an example of fire.
When you have a rash that is causing your skin to burn, this is an example of when your skin is on fire.
When you dig a pit, put a lot of wood in it, strike a match and then have flames coming up that you can roast marshmallows in, this is an example of fire.
When you feel a burning passion to get involved in fundraising, this is an example of when you direct your fire towards fundraising.

The definition of fire is to discharge a gun, to let someone go from their job, to direct a lot of questions at someone very quickly, to send an aggressive message, or to fill someone with emotion.

(verb)

When you pull the trigger and discharge a gun, this is an example of when you fire a gun.
When you tell someone that they are no longer working for you, this is an example of when you fire a person.
When the press rapidly asks questions of a politician after a scandal, this is an example of when the press fires questions.
When a politician makes an ad that inspires people to go out and vote, this is an example of when he fires up the voters.
When you say something to get a friend really mad, this is an example of when you fire him up.

See fire in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the active principle of burning, characterized by the heat and light of combustion
fuel burning in a furnace, fireplace, etc.
an instance of burning that is undesired, uncontrolled, and destructive: a forest fire
any preparation that will burn and make a brilliant display: Greek fire
1. anything like fire, as in heat or brilliance
2. firelike brilliance
death, torture, or trial by burning
extreme suffering or distress that tries one's endurance; tribulation or ordeal
a feverish or inflamed condition of the body
strong feeling; excitement; ardor: a speech full of fire
vivid imagination
1. a discharge of firearms or artillery; shooting
2. anything like this in speed and continuity of action: a fire of criticism

Origin: ME fyr < OE, akin to Ger feuer < IE base *pewōr- > Gr pyra, pyre, Czech pýř, glowing embers

transitive verb fired, firing

to apply fire to; make burn; ignite
to supply with fuel; tend the fire of: to fire a furnace
to bake (bricks, pottery, etc.) in a kiln
to dry by heat
to make bright or illuminate, as if by fire
1. to animate or inspire
2. to excite, stimulate, or inflame: often with up
1. to shoot or discharge (a gun, bullet, etc.)
2. to make explode by igniting
to hurl or direct with force and suddenness: fire a rock, fire questions
☆
Origin: pun on discharge
to dismiss from a position; discharge

Origin: ME firen < OE fyrian

intransitive verb

to start burning; flame
to tend a fire
to become excited or aroused
to react in a specified way to firing in a kiln: a glaze that fires bright blue
to shoot a firearm
to discharge a projectile: the gun fired
to become yellow prematurely, as corn or grain

Related Forms:

firer noun

See fire in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. A rapid, persistent chemical change that releases heat and light and is accompanied by flame, especially the exothermic oxidation of a combustible substance.
b. Burning fuel or other material: a cooking fire; a forest fire.
a. Burning intensity of feeling; ardor. See Synonyms at passion.
b. Enthusiasm.
Luminosity or brilliance, as of a cut and polished gemstone.
Liveliness and vivacity of imagination; brilliance.
A severe test; a trial or torment.
A fever or bodily inflammation.
a. The discharge of firearms or artillery: heard the fire of cannon.
b. The launching of a missile, rocket, or similar ballistic body.
c. Discharged bullets or other projectiles: subjected enemy positions to heavy mortar fire; struck by rifle fire.
Intense, repeated attack or criticism: answered the fire from her political critics.

verb fired fired, fir·ing, fires

verb, transitive

a. To cause to burn; ignite.
b. To light (something) up as if by fire: The morning sun fired the tops of the trees.
a. To add fuel to (something burning).
b. To maintain or fuel a fire in.
c. To start (a fuel-burning engine). Often used with up.
a. To bake in a kiln: fire pottery.
b. To dry by heating.
To arouse the emotions of; make enthusiastic or ardent. Often used with up: warriors who were fired by patriotism.
a. To discharge (a firearm, for example).
b. To detonate (an explosive).
a. To propel (a projectile); launch (a missile).
b. Informal To throw with force and speed; hurl: fire a ball at a batter.
c. To utter or direct with insistence: fired questions at the senator.
Games To score (a number) in a game or contest.
To discharge from a position; dismiss. See Synonyms at dismiss.

verb, intransitive

To become ignited; flame up.
a. To become excited or ardent.
b. To become angry or annoyed.
To tend a fire.
a. To shoot a weapon: aimed and fired at the target.
b. To detonate an explosive.
c. To ignite fuel, as in an engine.
Informal To project or hurl a missile: The pitcher wound up and fired.
Physiology To generate an electrical impulse. Used of a neuron.
To become yellowed or brown before reaching maturity, as grain.

Phrasal Verbs: fire away Informal To start to talk or ask questions. fire off To utter or ask rapidly. To write and send (a letter, for example) in haste.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English fir

Origin: , from Old English fȳr; see paəwṛ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

fireˈa·ble adjective

firˈer noun

Word History: Primitive Indo-European had pairs of words for some very common things, such as water or fire. Typically, one word in the pair was active, animate, and personified; the other, impersonal and neuter in grammatical gender. In the case of the pair of words for “fire,” English has descendants of both, one inherited directly from Germanic, the other borrowed from Latin. Our word fire goes back to the neuter member of the pair. In Old English “fire” was fȳr, from Germanic *fūr. The Indo-European form behind *fūr is *pūr, whence also the Greek neuter noun pūr, the source of the prefix pyro-. The other Indo-European word for fire appears in ignite, which is derived from the Latin word for fire, ignis, from Indo-European *egnis. The Russian word for fire, ogon' (stem form ogn-), and the Sanskrit agni-, “fire” (deified as Agni, the god of fire), also come from *egnis, the active, animate, and personified word for fire.

See fire in Ologies

Fire