Burns
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
burn 1
(bûrn)v. burned or burnt (bûrnt), burn·ing, burns
v.intr.
1. To undergo combustion or be consumed as fuel: The dry wood burned quickly.
2. To be damaged, injured, or destroyed by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent: a house that burned to the ground; eggs that burned and stuck to the pan.
3. To consume fuel: a rocket stage designed to burn for three minutes before being jettisoned.
4.
a. To emit heat or light by fire or energy: campfires burning in the dark; lights burning in the windows.
b. To become dissipated or be dispelled: The fog burned off as the sun came up. Their anger burned away in time.
5.
a. To suffer death or punishment by fire: souls burning in hell.
b. To be electrocuted.
6.
a. To be very hot; bake: a desert burning under the midday sun.
b. To feel or look hot: a child burning with fever.
c. To impart a sensation of heat: a liniment that burns when first applied.
7.
a. To penetrate something by intense heat, energy, or caustic effect: The acid burned into the table.
b. To cause a strong impression, especially by emotional intensity: a look that burned into them; shame burning into my heart.
8.
a. To become irritated or painful, as by chafing or inflammation: eyes burning from the smoke.
b. To become sunburned or windburned.
9. To be consumed with strong emotion, especially:
a. To be or become angry: an insult that really made me burn.
b. To be very eager: was burning with ambition.
v.tr.
1.
a. To cause to undergo combustion, especially to the point of destruction: We burned the scrap wood in the fireplace.
b. To consume (fuel or energy, for example): burned all the wood that winter.
2.
a. To use as a fuel: a furnace that burns coal.
b. To metabolize (glucose, for example) in the body.
3. To damage or injure by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent: burned the toast; burned my skin with the acid.
4.
a. To make or produce by fire or heat: burn a hole in the rug.
b. To dispel or dissipate, as by heat: The sun burned off the fog. Resentments that burned away their tender feelings.
5.
a. To execute or kill with fire: burning heretics at the stake.
b. To execute by electrocution.
6.
a. To irritate or inflame, as by chafing or sunburn.
b. To impart a sensation of intense heat to: The chili burned my mouth.
c. To make angry: What really burns me is his arrogance.
7. To brand (an animal).
8.
a. To engrave or make indelible by burning: burned his initials into the wood.
b. To cause to be felt or remembered because of emotional intensity: The image of the accident was burned into my memory.
9. To harden or impart a finish to by subjecting to intense heat; fire: burn clay pots in a kiln.
10.
a. To defeat in a contest, especially by a narrow margin.
b. Sports To outplay or score on (an opponent), especially through quick or deceptive movement.
c. To inflict harm or hardship on; hurt: "Huge loan losses have burned banks in recent years" (Christian Science Monitor).
d. To swindle or deceive; cheat: We really got burned on the used car we bought.
11.
a. To write data onto (an optical disc).
b. To write (data) onto an optical disc.
n.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. An injury produced by fire, heat, radiation, electricity, or a caustic agent.
2. A burned place or area: a cigarette burn in the tablecloth.
3. An act, process, or result of burning: The fire settled down to a steady burn.
4. A sensation of intense heat, stinging pain, or irritation: a chili burn on the tongue; the burn of alcohol on an open wound.
5. A sunburn or windburn.
burn out
1. To stop burning from lack of fuel: The campfire eventually burned out.
2. To wear out or make or become inoperative as a result of heat or friction: The short circuit burned out the fuse. The computer's motherboard burned out.
3. To make or become exhausted, especially as a result of long-term stress: "Hours are long, stress is high, and many recruits drop out or burn out" (Robert J. Samuelson).
4. To cause (someone) to have to evacuate an area or building because of fire: The shopkeeper was burned out by arsonists.
burn up
Idioms: 1. To make angry: Their rudeness really burns me up.
2. To travel over or through at high speed: drag racers burning up the track.
burn itself out
To stop burning from lack of fuel: The brush fire finally burned itself out.
burn (one's) bridges
To eliminate the possibility of return or retreat.
burn the/one's candle at both ends
To exhaust oneself or one's resources by leading a hectic or extravagant life.
burn the midnight oil
To work or study very late at night.
to burn
In great amounts: They had money to burn.
[Middle English burnen, from Old English beornan, to be on fire, and from bærnan, to set on fire; see gwher- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: burn1, scorch, singe, sear1, char1
These verbs mean to injure or alter by means of intense heat or flames. Burn, the most general, applies to the effects of exposure to a source of heat or to something that can produce a similar effect: burned the muffins in the oven; skin burned by the wind and sun. Scorch involves superficial burning that discolors or damages the texture of something: scorched the shirt with the iron. Singe specifies superficial burning and especially the removal of hair or feathers from a carcass before cooking: singed his finger lighting the match; plucked and singed the chicken before roasting it. Sear applies to rapid superficial burning using high heat: seared the meat in a hot skillet. To char is to reduce a substance to carbon or charcoal by partial burning: trees charred by the forest fire.
These verbs mean to injure or alter by means of intense heat or flames. Burn, the most general, applies to the effects of exposure to a source of heat or to something that can produce a similar effect: burned the muffins in the oven; skin burned by the wind and sun. Scorch involves superficial burning that discolors or damages the texture of something: scorched the shirt with the iron. Singe specifies superficial burning and especially the removal of hair or feathers from a carcass before cooking: singed his finger lighting the match; plucked and singed the chicken before roasting it. Sear applies to rapid superficial burning using high heat: seared the meat in a hot skillet. To char is to reduce a substance to carbon or charcoal by partial burning: trees charred by the forest fire.
burn 2
(bûrn)n. Scots
A small stream; a brook.
Burns
(bûrnz), George Originally Nathan Birnbaum. 1896-1996. American comedian and actor. From 1922 to 1958 he and Gracie Allen were a popular husband-and-wife comedy team. After her death he appeared in both comic and dramatic roles, winning an Academy Award for The Sunshine Boys (1975).
Burns
, Robert 1759-1796. British poet whose songs and poems, written in English and Scots, celebrate love, patriotism, and rustic life.
Burns′i·an adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Burns
(bɜːnz)n
(Biography) Robert. 1759–96, Scottish lyric poet. His verse, written mostly in dialect, includes love songs, nature poetry, and satires. Auld Lang Syne and Tam o' Shanter are among his best known poems
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
Burns
(bɜrnz)n.
1. George (Nathan Birnbaum), 1896–1996, U.S. comedian (partner and husband of Gracie Allen).
2. Robert, 1759–96, Scottish poet.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
burns
A burn is tissue damage and cell death caused by exposure of the skin to high temperatures, electricity, excessive sunlight, and certain chemicals. A first-degree burn damages only the epidermis. Second-degree burns damage both the epidermis and the top of the dermis. This can cause blisters to appear. Third-degree burns damage all of the skin’s layers and possibly underlying tissues as well. Severe burning can often be fatal as the body is made vulnerable to infection and fluid loss.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | Burns - United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996) |
| 2. |  Burns - celebrated Scottish poet (1759-1796) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.