Burn — Defs

01 v. t. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn up wood.

imp. & p. p. Burned; p. pr. & vb. n. Burning

1.
To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn up wood.
2.
To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char; to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face in the sun; the sun burns the grass.
3.
To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to destroy or change some property or properties of, by exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.
4.
To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn charcoal; to burn letters into a block.
5.
To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does; as, to burn the mouth with pepper.
“This tyrant fever burns me up.” — Shak.

“This dry sorrow burns up all my tears.” — Dryden.

“When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the ��ass as fire.” — Ecclus. xliii. 20, 21.
6.
To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.(Surg.)
7.
To cause to combine with oxygen or other active agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as, a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.(Chem.)

Phrases & compounds

To burn — to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

To burn a bowl — to displace it accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be burned.

To burn daylight — to light candles before it is dark; to waste time; to perform superfluous actions.

To burn one's fingers — to get one's self into unexpected trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others, speculation, etc.

To burn out — to destroy or obliterate by burning.

To be burned out — to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

To burn up — to burn entirely.

02 v. i. To be of fire; to flame.

1.
To be of fire; to flame.
2.
To suffer from, or be scorched by, an excess of heat.
“Your meat doth burn, quoth I.” — Shak.
3.
To have a condition, quality, appearance, sensation, or emotion, as if on fire or excessively heated; to act or rage with destructive violence; to be in a state of lively emotion or strong desire; as, the face burns; to burn with fever.
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way?” — Luke xxiv. 32.

“The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, Burned on the water.” — Shak.

“Burning with high hope.” — Byron.

“The groan still deepens, and the combat burns.” — Pope.

“The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire.” — Milton.
4.
To combine energetically, with evolution of heat; as, copper burns in chlorine.(Chem.)
5.
In certain games, to approach near to a concealed object which is sought.[Colloq.]

Phrases & compounds

To burn up — to be entirely consumed.

03 n. A hurt, injury, or effect caused by fire or excessive or intense heat.

1.
A hurt, injury, or effect caused by fire or excessive or intense heat.
2.
The operation or result of burning or baking, as in brickmaking; as, they have a good burn.
3.
A disease in vegetables. See Brand, n., 6. See: Brand

04 n. A small stream.

1.
A small stream.[Scot.]