INDEX:
1. a fire that damages a building, forest, etc
2. a fire for making you warm, for cooking, or for burning things
3. the heat and light produced by something that is burning
4. to make or start a fire
5. to stop a fire from burning
6. people whose job is to stop fires
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ BURN
↑ HOT
↑ SMOKING
↑ EXPLODE
↑ DESTROY
↑ SAVE
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1. a fire that damages a building, forest, etc
▷ fire /faɪəʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ Eleven people died in a fire in Chicago early Monday.
fire spreads
gets bigger or worse
▪ The fire quickly spread throughout the building.
fire breaks out
starts suddenly
▪ Investigators say the fire probably broke out in the hotel kitchen.
start a fire
▪ The fire was started by an electrical fault.
forest fire
▪ A forest fire had been raging in the south and the sky in that direction had a deep red glow.
▷ blaze /bleɪz/ [countable noun usually singular]
a large and dangerous fire that burns very strongly :
▪ Firefighters struggled to control the blaze.
▪ The church was completely destroyed in the blaze.
▷ inferno /ɪnˈfɜːʳnəʊ/ [countable noun usually singular]
a very large, very hot, and very dangerous fire, especially in an enclosed space such as a building - used especially in newspapers and in literature :
▪ Eleven homes and several businesses were destroyed in the inferno.
▪ He rushed back into the inferno to rescue his two-year-old sister, Cora, who had been trapped inside.
▷ flames /fleɪmz/ [plural noun]
the bright parts of a fire that you see burning in the air :
▪ I saw flames coming from the engine.
▪ She frantically sprayed the flames with a fire extinguisher.
2. a fire for making you warm, for cooking, or for burning things
▷ fire /faɪəʳ/ [countable noun]
a small, controlled fire that you make in order to provide heat or to cook food :
▪ Could you bring in some wood for the fire?
▪ In the evenings the whole family would gather around the fire.
log/coal etc fire
a fire that burns logs, coal etc
▪ There’s nothing more comforting than a blazing log fire.
light a fire
make it burn
▪ The old man lit a fire in the stove of the front room.
▷ bonfire /ˈbɒnfaɪəʳǁˈbɑːn-/ [countable noun]
a large outdoor fire used for burning dead leaves, wood, or things you do not need, or used for celebrations :
light a bonfire
make it burn
▪ The bonfire will be lit at 7.00 p.m., with fireworks starting just 15 minutes later.
build/make a bonfire
▪ They piled up scrap wood, boxes and other junk and made a big bonfire.
▷ campfire /ˈkæmpfaɪəʳ/ [countable noun]
a fire made outdoors for people who are camping, used for keeping them warm and cooking :
▪ Never leave a campfire unattended.
sit around the campfire
▪ That night we sat around the campfire telling stories.
3. the heat and light produced by something that is burning
▷ fire /faɪəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Most animals are afraid of fire.
▪ When did humans first learn to use fire?
▷ flame /fleɪm/ [countable noun]
the hot bright area of burning gas which is produced by something that is burning :
▪ Natural gas burns with a bright blue flame.
▪ You can sterilize a needle by holding it in a flame.
▪ The candle flame flickered and then went out.
4. to make or start a fire
▷ make/build a fire /ˌmeɪk, ˌbɪld ə ˈfaɪəʳ/ [verb phrase]
▪ He made a fire out of old rags and newspapers.
▪ There isn’t enough wood here to build a fire.
▷ light a fire /ˌlaɪt ə ˈfaɪəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to deliberately make a fire start burning, especially in order to provide heat or to cook something :
▪ It was her job to light a fire every morning before the family got up.
▪ In such a strong wind it was almost impossible to light a fire.
▷ start a fire /ˌstɑːʳt ə ˈfaɪəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to make a fire start burning, especially in a place where it might cause damage :
▪ The kids accidentally started a fire in the garage.
▪ The fire was started by a carelessly tossed cigarette.
▷ arson /ˈɑːʳs ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the crime of deliberately starting a fire in order to damage a building or property :
▪ Police are treating the fire as a case of arson.
▪ Brooks was arrested for arson in North Carolina.
5. to stop a fire from burning
▷ put out /ˌpʊt ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a fire stop burning :
put out the fire/blaze/flames
▪ It took firefighters four hours to put out the blaze.
put something out
▪ She threw sand on the fire to put it out.
▷ extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋgwɪʃ/ [transitive verb] formal
to stop a fire burning :
▪ He managed to extinguish the flames with his coat.
▪ It took several hours to extinguish the blaze.
▷ blow out /ˌbləʊ ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make a flame or fire stop burning by blowing on it :
blow out a candle/match/fire etc
▪ He blew out the candle and went to sleep.
blow something out
▪ We tried to light a fire but the wind kept blowing it out.
▷ smother /ˈsmʌðəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to cover a fire with something in order to stop it from burning :
▪ If the victim’s clothes are burning, use a blanket to smother the flames.
6. people whose job is to stop fires
▷ firefighter /ˈfaɪəʳˌfaɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone whose job is to stop fires burning :
▪ Firefighters rescued the children, who were trapped in an upstairs room.
▪ It took firefighters over two hours to put out the fire.
▪ Over 300 firefighters were killed when the North Tower collapsed.
▷ fireman /ˈfaɪəʳmən/ [countable noun] especially British
a man whose job is to stop fires burning :
▪ Two firemen died in a blaze.
▪ I wanted to be a fireman when I was a child.
▷ the fire brigade British /the fire department American /ðə ˈfaɪəʳ brɪˌgeɪd, ðə ˈfaɪəʳ dɪˌpɑːʳtmənt/ [singular noun]
the organization in a town or area that works to prevent fires and to stop fires burning :
▪ The fire brigade arrived promptly and the fire was quickly brought under control.
▪ Spending on police and fire departments accounts for about 55 percent of the city’s general fund.