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fire
has definitions from the fields of military,chemistry,food,arms,work
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[ noun ] the event of something burning (often destructive)
Examples "they lost everything in the fire" Used in print (Orlin J. Scoville, Part-Time Farming...)Where schools , fire and police protection , and similar municipal services are of equal quality in city and country , real_estate taxes are usually about the same . Find_out whether fire protection , sewage_system , gas , water_mains , and electrical lines are available in the locality . (L. Don Leet and Florence J. Leet, editors, The World of...)The role of an earthquake in starting the destruction of whole cities is tremendously frightening , but fire may actually be the principal agent in a particular disaster . (Joseph Chadwick, No Land Is Free....)They got tin cups of coffee from the big pot on the coosie 's fire , rolled and lighted brown paper cigarettes , lounged_about . He 'd started a fire and put coffee on , and now was busy at the work_board of his chuck_wagon . Related terms happening campfire bonfire brush_fire grassfire smudge smoulder conflagration forest_fire burn |
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[ verb ] (arms) start firing a weapon
Synonyms Used in print (Kenneth Allsop, The Bootleggers and Their Era...)O_'_Banion drew his guns and fired at Dave , severely wounding him in the stomach . (Booton Herndon, "From Custer to Korea, The 7th Cavalry"...)His followers shouted the old battle_cry after him and charged the hill , firing as they ran . (Frances and Richard Lockridge, Murder Has...)It was not even certain the shot had been fired from either hotel . Related terms |
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[ noun ] (military) the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
Synonyms Examples "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes" "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire" Used in print (Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)As they were riding along this winding road on the bench of land between the two bluffs , a volley of rifle fire suddenly crashed around the two officers . Bullets were so thick , throwing sand in his face , that he found it difficult to return the fire . Dropping to one knee , Cook felled one , and the other struggled off with his comrade , sending no further fire in his direction . (Howard Fast, April Morning....)`` Committeemen , hold your fire ! Hold your fire '' ! Related terms attack fusillade cover artillery_fire barrage supporting_fire concentrated_fire broadside neutralization_fire counterpreparation_fire counterfire flak registration_fire destruction_fire grazing_fire harassing_fire indirect_fire interdiction_fire crossfire observed_fire preparation_fire radar_fire unobserved_fire scheduled_fire searching_fire suppressive_fire fratricide hostile_fire distributed_fire direct_fire call_fire open_fire |
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[ verb ] (arms) cause to go off
Synonyms Examples "fire a gun" "fire a bullet" Used in print (Frank Getlein and Harold C. Gardiner, S.J., Movies,...)As a finale is appended a close-up of one of the band taking_aim and firing his revolver straight at the audience . (Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)A bullet fired by one of the Mexicans hiding in a little chicken house had passed_through his head , tearing a hole two inches square on the outgoing side . (Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)We knew the enemy was subdued , because a flare was fired as the signal . |
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[ verb ] (food) bake in a kiln so as to harden
Examples "fire pottery" Used in print (Idwal Jones, "Santa Cruz Run"...)Dwellers thereabouts preferred to get their apple_pies at the local bakery , which had a brick oven fired with redwood billets . (McCall's Needlework and Crafts, Spring-Summer,...)Instructions for preparing clay , drying , glazing and firing are not given . This will prevent the clay from twisting or bending , causing warping when fired . Tiles were fired once to cone 05 . Bisque fired to cone 05 . |
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[ verb ] (work) terminate the employment of
Examples "The boss fired his secretary today" "The company terminated 25% of its workers" Used in print (Whit Masterson, Evil Come, Evil Go....)I practically had to sign your life away , you 'll probably fire me for some of the deals I had to go_for , but '' - Related terms hire remove retire squeeze_out furlough dismiss pension_off drive_out dismissal |
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[ noun ] (chemistry) the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
Examples "fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries" Used in print (Peter J. White, "Report on Laos"...)Mortars had demolished the defense ministry and set fire to the American Embassy next_door . Related terms |
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[ verb ] (arms) go off or discharge
Examples "The gun fired" Used in print (Clayton C. Barbeau, The Ikon....)Even at this short distance they were only vague shapes , setting_up the machine_gun on a small knoll so that it could fire above the heads of the rest of the patrol . |
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[ noun ] a fireplace in which a fire is burning
Examples "they sat by the fire and talked" Used in print (Frank Oppenheimer, "Science and Fear-- A Discussion...)Social invention did not have to await social theory any more than use of the warmth of a fire had to await Lavoisier or the buoyant protection of a boat the formulations of Archimedes . (Guy Bolton, The Olympians....)The fire in the sitting_room was lighted . As they waited for supper they sat by the fire , glasses in_hand , while Byron philosophized as much for his own entertainment as hers . |
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[ noun ] (archaic) once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
Used in print (William G. Pollard, Physicist and Christian....)In_the_end the good man , John_Proctor , expresses what the audience has already come to feel when he says , `` A fire , a fire is burning ! In_the_end the good man , John_Proctor , expresses what the audience has already come to feel when he says , `` A fire , a fire is burning ! (Glayds H. Barr, The Master of Geneva....)Slowly , like a man grown old , he took Eli 's hand and led him below to the tower study , guiding him to a chair beside the little hearth where a fire still burned . |
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[ verb ] destroy by fire
Examples "They burned the house and his diaries" Used in print (Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)The posse then asked that he send_out the women and children as the building would be fired or torn_down over his head if necessary to take him dead or alive . |
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[ verb ] drive out or away by or as if by fire
Examples "The soldiers were fired" "Surrender fires the cold skepticism" Related terms |
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[ verb ] call forth; of emotions, feelings, and responses
Examples "arouse pity" "raise a smile" "evoke sympathy" Used in print (Chicago Daily Tribune...)This time the orchestra gave him some superb support fired by response to his own high mood . |
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