FUSE

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. & intr. melt with intense heat; liquefy. 2 tr. & intr. blend or amalgamate into one whole by or as by melting. 3 tr. provide (a circuit, plug, etc.) with a fuse. 4 a intr. (of an appliance) cease to function when a fuse blows. b tr. cause (an appliance) to do this. --n. a device or component for protecting an electric circuit, containing a strip of wire of easily melted metal and placed in the circuit so as to break it by melting when an excessive current passes through. øfuse-box a box housing the fuses for circuits in a building. [L fundere fus- pour, melt]