/berrn"owt'/ , n.
1. a fire that is totally destructive of something.
2. Also, burn-out . fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity.
3. Rocketry.
a. the termination of effective combustion in a rocket engine, due to exhaustion of propellant.
b. the end of the powered portion of a rocket's flight.
4. Elect. the breakdown of a lamp, motor, or other electrical device due to the heat created by the current flowing through it.
[ 1900-05; n. use of v. phrase burn out ]