[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

fire \fire\ fimacr, n. oe. fir, fyr, fur as. f=yr; akin
   to d. vuur, os.  ohg. fiur, g. feuer, icel. f=yri,
   f=urr, gr. py^r, and perh. to l. purus pure, e. pure cf.
   empyrean, pyre.
   1. the evolution of light and heat in the combustion of
      bodies; combustion; state of ignition.
      1913 webster

   note: the form of fire exhibited in the combustion of gases
         in an ascending stream or current is called flame.
         anciently, fire, air, earth, and water were regarded as
         the four elements of which all things are composed.
         1913 webster

   2. fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a
      stove or a furnace.
      1913 webster

   3. the burning of a house or town; a conflagration.
      1913 webster

   4. anything which destroys or affects like fire.
      1913 webster

   5. ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth;
      consuming violence of temper.
      1913 webster

            he had fire in his temper.            --atterbury.
      1913 webster

   6. liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral
      enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.
      1913 webster

            and bless their critic with a poet's fire. --pope.
      1913 webster

   7. splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.
      1913 webster

            stars, hide your fires.               --shak.
      1913 webster

            as in a zodiac
            representing the heavenly fires.      --milton.
      1913 webster

   8. torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.
      1913 webster

   9. the discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were
      exposed to a heavy fire.
      1913 webster

   blue fire, red fire, green fire pyrotech.,
      compositions of various combustible substances, as
      sulphur, niter, lampblack, etc., the flames of which are
      colored by various metallic salts, as those of antimony,
      strontium, barium, etc.

   fire alarm
      a a signal given on the breaking out of a fire.
      b an apparatus for giving such an alarm.

   fire annihilator, a machine, device, or preparation to be
      kept at hand for extinguishing fire by smothering it with
      some incombustible vapor or gas, as carbonic acid.

   fire balloon.
      a a balloon raised in the air by the buoyancy of air
          heated by a fire placed in the lower part.
      b a balloon sent up at night with fireworks which ignite
          at a regulated height. --simmonds.

   fire bar, a grate bar.

   fire basket, a portable grate; a cresset. --knight.

   fire beetle. zool. see in the vocabulary.

   fire blast, a disease of plants which causes them to appear
      as if burnt by fire.

   fire box, the chamber of a furnace, steam boiler, etc., for
      the fire.

   fire brick, a refractory brick, capable of sustaining
      intense heat without fusion, usually made of fire clay or
      of siliceous material, with some cementing substance, and
      used for lining fire boxes, etc.

   fire brigade, an organized body of men for extinguished
      fires.

   fire bucket. see under bucket.

   fire bug, an incendiary; one who, from malice or through
      mania, persistently sets fire to property; a pyromaniac.
      u.s.

   fire clay. see under clay.

   fire company, a company of men managing an engine in
      extinguishing fires.

   fire cross. see fiery cross. obs. --milton.

   fire damp. see under damp.

   fire dog. see firedog, in the vocabulary.

   fire drill.
      a a series of evolutions performed by fireman for
          practice.
      b an apparatus for producing fire by friction, by
          rapidly twirling a wooden pin in a wooden socket; --
          used by the hindoos during all historic time, and by
          many savage peoples.

   fire eater.
      a a juggler who pretends to eat fire.
      b a quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur.
          colloq.

   fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels,
      for throwing water to extinguish fire.

   fire escape, a contrivance for facilitating escape from
      burning buildings.

   fire gilding fine arts, a mode of gilding with an amalgam
      of gold and quicksilver, the latter metal being driven off
      afterward by heat.

   fire gilt fine arts, gold laid on by the process of fire
      gilding.

   fire insurance, the act or system of insuring against fire;
      also, a contract by which an insurance company undertakes,
      in consideration of the payment of a premium or small
      percentage -- usually made periodically -- to indemnify an
      owner of property from loss by fire during a specified
      period.

   fire irons, utensils for a fireplace or grate, as tongs,
      poker, and shovel.

   fire main, a pipe for water, to be used in putting out
      fire.

   fire master
      mil, an artillery officer who formerly supervised the
            composition of fireworks.

   fire office, an office at which to effect insurance against
      fire.

   fire opal, a variety of opal giving firelike reflections.
      

   fire ordeal, an ancient mode of trial, in which the test
      was the ability of the accused to handle or tread upon
      red-hot irons. --abbot.

   fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially
      the receptacle for the priming of a gun.

   fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the
      main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing
      fires.

   fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the
      contract of insurance against loss by fire.

   fire pot.
      a mil. a small earthen pot filled with combustibles,
          formerly used as a missile in war.
      b the cast iron vessel which holds the fuel or fire in a
          furnace.
      c a crucible.
      d a solderer's furnace.

   fire raft, a raft laden with combustibles, used for setting
      fire to an enemy's ships.

   fire roll, a peculiar beat of the drum to summon men to
      their quarters in case of fire.

   fire setting mining, the process of softening or cracking
      the working face of a lode, to facilitate excavation, by
      exposing it to the action of fire; -- now generally
      superseded by the use of explosives. --raymond.

   fire ship, a vessel filled with combustibles, for setting
      fire to an enemy's ships.

   fire shovel, a shovel for taking up coals of fire.

   fire stink, the stench from decomposing iron pyrites,
      caused by the formation of hydrogen sulfide. --raymond.

   fire surface, the surfaces of a steam boiler which are
      exposed to the direct heat of the fuel and the products of
      combustion; heating surface.

   fire swab, a swab saturated with water, for cooling a gun
      in action and clearing away particles of powder, etc.
      --farrow.

   fire teaser, in england, the fireman of a steam emgine.

   fire water, a strong alcoholic beverage; -- so called by
      the american indians.

   fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly
      in persia, among the followers of zoroaster, called
      chebers, or guebers, and among the parsees of india.

   greek fire. see under greek.

   on fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager;
      zealous.

   running fire, the rapid discharge of firearms in succession
      by a line of troops.

   st. anthony's fire, erysipelas; -- an eruptive fever which
      st. anthony was supposed to cure miraculously. --hoblyn.

   st. elmo's fire. see under saint elmo.

   to set on fire, to inflame; to kindle.

   to take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.
      1913 webster
see also:
empyrean pyre blue fire red fire green fire fire alarm 
fire annihilator fire balloon fire bar fire basket fire beetle 
fire blast fire box fire brick fire brigade fire bucket 
bucket fire bug fire clay clay fire company 
fire cross fiery cross fire damp damp fire dog 
firedog fire drill fire eater fire engine fire escape 
fire gilding fire gilt fire insurance fire irons fire main 
fire master fire office fire opal fire ordeal fire pan 
fire plug fire policy fire pot fire raft fire roll 
fire setting fire ship fire shovel fire stink fire surface 
fire swab fire teaser fire water fire worship greek fire 
greek on fire running fire st. anthony's fire st. elmo's fire 
saint elmo to set on fire to take fire 

Fire >> F Words
Fire, definition of term: Fire
fire_pag1.html

Fire Extinguish >> F Words
Fire Extinguish, definition of term: Fire Extinguish
fire+extinguish_pag1.html

Fire Engine >> F Words
Fire Engine, definition of term: Fire Engine
fire+engine_pag1.html

Fire Drill >> F Words
Fire Drill, definition of term: Fire Drill
fire+drill_pag1.html

Fire Fighter >> F Words
Fire Fighter, definition of term: Fire Fighter
fire+fighter_pag1.html

Fire Hose >> F Words
Fire Hose, definition of term: Fire Hose
fire+hose_pag1.html

Fire Raft >> F Words
Fire Raft, definition of term: Fire Raft
fire+raft_pag1.html

Fire Hydrant >> F Words
Fire Hydrant, definition of term: Fire Hydrant
fire+hydrant_pag1.html

Fire Door >> F Words
Fire Door, definition of term: Fire Door
fire+door_pag1.html

Fire Control >> F Words
Fire Control, definition of term: Fire Control
fire+control_pag1.html

Page 1 2 Next