Fire Definition

fīr
fired, fires, firing
noun
fires
The active principle of burning, characterized by the heat and light of combustion.
Webster's New World
Fuel burning in a furnace, fireplace, etc.
Webster's New World
An instance of burning that is undesired, uncontrolled, and destructive.
A forest fire.
Webster's New World
Any preparation that will burn and make a brilliant display.
Greek fire.
Webster's New World
Anything like fire, as in heat or brilliance.
Webster's New World
verb
fired, fires, firing
To apply fire to; make burn; ignite.
Webster's New World
To react in a specified way to firing in a kiln.
A glaze that fires bright blue.
Webster's New World
To start (a fuel-burning engine or a vehicle with such an engine). Often used with up.
American Heritage
To supply with fuel; tend the fire of.
To fire a furnace.
Webster's New World
To make bright or illuminate, as if by fire.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
idiom
between two fires
  • Being attacked from two sources or sides simultaneously.
American Heritage
on fire
  • Ignited; ablaze.
  • Filled with enthusiasm or excitement.
American Heritage
start
  • To urge or goad to action.
American Heritage
under fire
  • Exposed or subjected to enemy attack.
  • Exposed or subjected to critical attack or censure:

    an official who was under fire for mismanagement.

American Heritage
between two fires
  • between two attacks; shot at, criticized, etc. from both sides
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Fire

Noun

Singular:
fire
Plural:
fires

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Fire

Origin of Fire

  • From Middle English fier, from Old English fȳr (“fire”), from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”) (compare Saterland Frisian Fjuur, West Frisian fjoer, Dutch vuur, Low German Für, German Feuer, Danish fyr), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂ur (compare Hittite (paḫḫur), Umbrian pir, Tocharian A/B por/puwar, Czech pýř (“hot ashes”), Ancient Greek πῦρ (pur, “fire”), Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”)) and perhaps Albanian prush (“embers”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁ngʷnis, *h₁ngʷni-.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English fir from Old English fȳr paəwr̥ in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to fire using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

fire