I. ˈfī(ə)r, -īə noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English fir, fire, from Old English fȳr; akin to Old High German fiur fire, Old Norse fȳrr, fūrr, funi, Gothic fon, Umbrian pir, Greek pyr, Armenian hur fire, torch
1.
a. : the phenomenon of combustion as manifested in light, flame, and heat and in heating, destroying, and altering effects : ignition
b. : one of the four elements of the alchemists
c. fires plural : the heat, flame, or burning material of a specified place or thing
the deep internal fires of this volcanic region
the fires of hell
d.
(1) : intense love or hate : passion
the younger men, the warriors, the new leaders who had fire in their hearts — Marjory S. Douglas
(2) : ardor of spirit or temperament : drive , courage , zeal , enthusiasm , fervor
the glow and fire of a faith that was content to bide its hour — B.N.Cardozo
(3) : liveliness of imagination or fancy : genius , inspiration , vivacity
color and fire were imparted to the works of the classic master — A.E.Wier
the force and fire of his oratory
2.
a. : fuel in a state of combustion (as on a hearth or in a stove or furnace)
warmed his hands at the crackling fire
stirred up the fire with a poker
— compare open fire
b. Britain : a small gas or electric space heater
electric fires designed for efficiency — Punch
3.
a. : a destructive burning (as of a house, town, or forest)
engines clanging their way to the fire
b. : purposive destruction by burning — often used in the phrase by fire and sword
he was going back … to carry the city by fire and sword — Frank Yerby
c.
(1) : death or torture by fire ; specifically : burning at the stake — used with the
forced the shocked prelate, under threat of the fire , to confess heresies he was not guilty of — G.C.Sellery
(2) : an experience that tests or tempers quality or character : a severe trial or ordeal
he had proved himself in the fire of battle
— often used in plural
workers whose ideas have been tested in the fires of performance — G.T.Trewartha
4.
a. dialect Britain : fuel , firewood ; specifically : kindling
b. archaic : an inflammable composition or a device for producing a fiery display : fireworks
5.
a. : a fever or inflammation especially from a disease
b. : a plant disease producing a burnt appearance — see tulip fire
6. : brilliancy , luminosity ; specifically : the play of prismatic colors in light flashes from a gemstone
7.
a. : the discharge of firearms : firing
troops rent by a heavy fire
b. : intense and usually continuing criticism : verbal attack
atomism had come under the fire of the Socratic schools — Benjamin Farrington
the fire of his article is concentrated on the two hapless institutions — Nicolas Slonimsky
c. : a series (as of remarks) usually following closely one upon the other
they fell to, a running fire of comments going on all the time — Robert Keable
8. : the heating powers of a substance (as liquor)
with the fire of the drink melting the cold that was in the marrow of our bones — Mary Deasy
•
- on fire
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English firen, from fir, fire, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to set on fire : set fire to
fired the house
b.
(1) : kindle , light , ignite
the oven holds sufficient heat to fire a fresh charge of coal — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
— often used with up
he fired up a cigar — Gilbert Millstein
(2) : to cause to explode by lighting or igniting
fired the train of powder
fire a mine
(3) : to cause (an internal-combustion engine) to start operation
(4) : to cause (an electron tube) to begin conducting a gas discharge
c.
(1) : to give life or spirit to : animate , inspire
his description fired my imagination
fired his ambition for a college education
(2) : to fill with passion : inflame , arouse
he was fired by her fresh young beauty
d. : to light up as if by fire : illuminate
his eye had caught the flash of larkspur and snapdragons that fired the lawn — G.M.Smith
2.
a. : to expel, purge, drive out, or drive away by or as if by fire
such surrender is above all things delightful … it fires the cold skepticism out of us — Virginia Woolf
b. : to discharge from employ or service usually peremptorily or summarily
fired him with one week's notice
also : to throw out or eject forcibly
3.
a.
(1) : detonate
fire a charge of dynamite
(2) : to propel from or as if from a gun
fire cannonballs
fire an arrow
fire a rocket
: discharge
fire a musket
(3) : to score (a certain number) in a game or contest (as golf or target shooting)
fired a 68
b. : to throw with speed or force : hurl
stripped to his shorts and fired the wet clothes into the corner of the closet — Charles Jackson
throwing clods at me by way of contempt and derision, and I fired back rocks — W.A.White
fired a long pass to the left end
c. : to utter with force and rapidity
fired questions at the prisoner
4. : to apply fire, heat, or fuel to: as
a. : to prepare (as ceramics) by applying heat : burn in a kiln
fire pottery
b. : to sear (the leg of a horse) with a hot iron in order to convert a crippling chronic inflammation into an acute inflammation that will stimulate the natural healing responses of the body
c. : to feed or serve the fire of
fire a boiler
: build a fire under in order to heat
unless you have lived by lamplight or fired a washpot in the back yard, you'll never know what electricity means — James Street
d. : to heat gently in order to dry
fire tea leaves
e. : to subject (a barnful of tobacco) to the drying and heating and combustion products of a charcoal fire for curing purposes
f. : to protect against freezing by the use of smudge pots
a freeze comes in and I must fire my young orange grove — Marjorie K. Rawlings
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to take fire : kindle , ignite
damp gunpowder will not fire
b. : to have the explosive charge ignite at the proper time — used of an internal-combustion engine
c. : glow , redden
her features fired at the thought; she clenched her hands in anger
d.
(1) of flax : to become covered with dark blotches
(2) : to turn yellow prematurely (as from drought) — used of corn or grain
2. : to become irritated : become angry or inflamed with passion
fired inwardly at these sarcasms — Tobias Smollett
— often used with up
fired up with a superb indignation — H.J.Laski
3.
a. : to discharge artillery or firearms
fire at point-blank range
b. : to emit forcefully or let fly an object
as long as the tail is lowered, the skunk will not fire — Animal Trap Co. of American
the archers raised their bows but did not fire
4. : to undergo a change by the action of fire (as in the making of pottery)
iron-bearing clays fire to a red color
5. : to light or tend a fire (as in a furnace)
the ship's firemen went on strike, and there was no one to fire
6. : to ring all the bells in a chime at once
Synonyms: see dismiss
III. adjective
1. : involved in burning of the use of fire
fire building
fire floor
2. : relating to, used in, or concerned with fire fighting
fire bucket
fire district
fire hydrant
3. : fiery
IV. intransitive verb
: to transmit a nerve impulse
the rate at which a neuron fires