/ fjuːz; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a small wire or device inside a piece of electrical equipment that breaks and stops the current if the flow of electricity is too strong :
to change a fuse
Check whether a fuse has blown.
2.
a long piece of string or paper which is lit to make a bomb or a firework explode
3.
( NAmE also fuze ) a device that makes a bomb explode when it hits sth or at a particular time :
He set the fuse to three minutes.
The bombs inside were on a one-hour fuse.
•
IDIOMS
see blow verb , short noun
■ verb
1.
when one thing fuses with another, or two things fuse or are fused , they are joined together to form a single thing :
[ v ]
As they heal, the bones will fuse together.
Our different ideas fused into a plan.
The sperm fuses with the egg to begin the process of fertilization.
[ vn ]
The two companies have been fused into a single organization.
Atoms of hydrogen are fused to make helium.
2.
[ v , vn ] ( technical ) when a substance, especially metal, fuses , or you fuse it, it is heated until it melts
3.
( BrE ) to stop working or to make sth stop working because a fuse melts :
[ v ]
The lights have fused.
[ vn ]
I've fused the lights.
4.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to put a fuse in a circuit or in a piece of equipment :
Is this plug fused?
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb and noun sense 1 late 16th cent.: from Latin fus- poured, melted, from the verb fundere .
noun senses 2 to 3 mid 17th cent.: from Italian fuso , from Latin fusus spindle.