BURN

v. & n. --v. (past and past part. burnt or burned) 1 tr. & intr. be or cause to be consumed or destroyed by fire. 2 intr. a blaze or glow with fire. b be in the state characteristic of fire. 3 tr. & intr. be or cause to be injured or damaged by fire or great heat or by radiation. 4 tr. & intr. use or be used as a source of heat, light, or other energy. 5 tr. & intr. char or scorch in cooking (burned the vegetables; the vegetables are burning). 6 tr. produce (a hole, a mark, etc.) by fire or heat. 7 tr. a subject (clay, chalk, etc.) to heat for a purpose. b harden (bricks) by fire. c make (lime or charcoal) by heat. 8 tr. colour, tan, or parch with heat or light (we were burnt brown by the sun). 9 tr. & intr. put or be put to death by fire. 10 tr. a cauterize, brand. b (foll. by in) imprint by burning. 11 tr. & intr. make or be hot, give or feel a sensation or pain of or like heat. 12 tr. & intr. (often foll. by with) make or be passionate; feel or cause to feel great emotion (burn with shame). 13 intr. sl. drive fast. 14 tr. US sl. anger, infuriate. 15 intr. (foll. by into) (of acid etc.) gradually penetrate (into) causing disintegration. --n. 1 a mark or injury caused by burning. 2 the ignition of a rocket engine in flight, giving extra thrust. 3 US, Austral., & NZ a forest area cleared by burning. 4 sl. a cigarette. 5 sl. a car race. øburn one's boats (or bridges) commit oneself irrevocably. burn the candle at both ends exhaust one's strength or resources by undertaking too much. burn down 1 a destroy (a building) by burning. b (of a building) be destroyed by fire. 2 burn less vigorously as fuel fails. burn one's fingers suffer for meddling or rashness. burn a hole in one's pocket (of money) be quickly spent. burning-glass a lens for concentrating the sun's rays on an object to burn it. burn low (of fire) be nearly out. burn the midnight oil read or work late into the night. burn out 1 be reduced to nothing by burning. 2 fail or cause to fail by burning. 3 (usu. refl.) esp. US suffer physical or emotional exhaustion. 4 consume the contents of by burning. 5 make (a person) homeless by burning his or her house. burn-out n. US 1 physical or emotional exhaustion, esp. caused by stress. 2 depression, disillusionment. burnt ochre (or sienna or umber) a pigment darkened by burning. burnt offering 1 an offering burnt on an altar as a sacrifice. 2 joc. overcooked food. burnt-out physically or emotionally exhausted. burn up 1 get rid of by fire. 2 begin to blaze. 3 US sl. be or make furious. have money to burn have more money than one needs. [OE birnan, bórnan f. Gmc]