burn
♦♦ burn /b'ɜːrn/ (burns burning burned burnt)
The past tense and past participle is burned in American English, and burned or burnt in British English.
1 [VERB] V, V
If there is a fire or a flame somewhere, you say that there is a fire or flame burning there.
Fires were burning out of control in the center of the city...
There was a fire burning in the large fireplace...
2 [VERB] V, V-ing
If something is burning, it is on fire.
When I arrived one of the vehicles was still burning...
That boy was rescued from a burning house.
● burning [N-UNCOUNT]
When we arrived in our village there was a terrible smell of burning.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you burn something, you destroy or damage it with fire.
Protesters set cars on fire and burned a building...
Coal fell out of the fire, and burned the carpet.
● burning [N-UNCOUNT]
The French government has criticized the burning of a US flag outside the American Embassy.
4 [VERB] V n, V
If you burn a fuel or if it burns, it is used to produce heat, light, or energy.
The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region...
Manufacturers are working with new fuels to find one that burns more cleanly than petrol.
5 [VERB] V n, V
If you burn something that you are cooking or if it burns, you spoil it by using too much heat or cooking it for too long.
I burnt the toast...
Watch them carefully as they finish cooking because they can burn easily.
● burnt [ADJ]
...the smell of burnt toast.
6 [VERB] V n, be V-ed, also V pron-refl
If you burn part of your body, burn yourself, or are burnt, you are injured by fire or by something very hot.
Take care not to burn your fingers...
If you are badly burnt, seek medical attention.
[N-COUNT]
Burn is also a noun.
She suffered appalling burns to her back.
7 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed as n, be V-ed to n
If someone is burnt or burnt to death, they are killed by fire.
Women were burned as witches in the middle ages...
At least 80 people were burnt to death when their bus caught fire.
8 [VERB] V
If a light is burning, it is shining. (LITERARY)
The building was darkened except for a single light burning in a third-story window.
9 [VERB] usu cont, V
If your face is burning, it is red because you are embarrassed or upset.
Liz's face was burning.
10 [VERB] V with n, V to-inf
If you are burning with an emotion or are burning to do something, you feel that emotion or the desire to do that thing very strongly.
The young boy was burning with a fierce ambition...
Dan burned to know what the reason could be.
11 [VERB] V, V n
If you burn or get burned in the sun, the sun makes your skin become red and sore.
Build up your tan slowly and don't allow your skin to burn...
Summer sun can burn fair skin in minutes.
12 [VERB] V, V with n, V n
If a part of your body burns or if something burns it, it has a painful, hot or stinging feeling.
My eyes burn from staring at the needle...
His face was burning with cold.
...delicious Indian recipes which won't burn your throat.
13 [VERB] V n
To burn a CD-ROM means to write or copy data onto it. (COMPUTING INFORMAL)
You can use this software to burn custom compilations of your favorite tunes.
14
to burn the candle at both ends: see candle
to get your fingers burned: see finger
to burn something to the ground: see ground
to burn the midnight oil: see midnight
to have money to burn: see money
see also burningburn down
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If a building burns down or if someone burns it down, it is completely destroyed by fire.
Six months after Bud died, the house burned down...
Anarchists burnt down a restaurant.burn off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If someone burns off energy, they use it.
This will improve your performance and help you burn off calories.burn out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V pron-refl P
If a fire burns itself out, it stops burning because there is nothing left to burn.
Fire officials let the fire burn itself out.
2
see also burnout, burnt-outburn up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something burns up or if fire burns it up, it is completely destroyed by fire or strong heat.
The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up...
Fires have burned up 180,000 acres of timber.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something burns up fuel or energy, it uses it.
Brisk walking burns up more calories than slow jogging.slash and burn
also slash-and-burn
[N-UNCOUNT] usu N n
Slash and burn is a method of farming that involves clearing land by destroying and burning all the trees and plants on it, farming there for a short time, and then moving on to clear a new piece of land.
Traditional slash and burn farming methods have exhausted the soil.
The past tense and past participle is burned in American English, and burned or burnt in British English.
1 [VERB] V, V
If there is a fire or a flame somewhere, you say that there is a fire or flame burning there.
Fires were burning out of control in the center of the city...
There was a fire burning in the large fireplace...
2 [VERB] V, V-ing
If something is burning, it is on fire.
When I arrived one of the vehicles was still burning...
That boy was rescued from a burning house.
● burning [N-UNCOUNT]
When we arrived in our village there was a terrible smell of burning.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you burn something, you destroy or damage it with fire.
Protesters set cars on fire and burned a building...
Coal fell out of the fire, and burned the carpet.
● burning [N-UNCOUNT]
The French government has criticized the burning of a US flag outside the American Embassy.
4 [VERB] V n, V
If you burn a fuel or if it burns, it is used to produce heat, light, or energy.
The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region...
Manufacturers are working with new fuels to find one that burns more cleanly than petrol.
5 [VERB] V n, V
If you burn something that you are cooking or if it burns, you spoil it by using too much heat or cooking it for too long.
I burnt the toast...
Watch them carefully as they finish cooking because they can burn easily.
● burnt [ADJ]
...the smell of burnt toast.
6 [VERB] V n, be V-ed, also V pron-refl
If you burn part of your body, burn yourself, or are burnt, you are injured by fire or by something very hot.
Take care not to burn your fingers...
If you are badly burnt, seek medical attention.
[N-COUNT]
Burn is also a noun.
She suffered appalling burns to her back.
7 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed as n, be V-ed to n
If someone is burnt or burnt to death, they are killed by fire.
Women were burned as witches in the middle ages...
At least 80 people were burnt to death when their bus caught fire.
8 [VERB] V
If a light is burning, it is shining. (LITERARY)
The building was darkened except for a single light burning in a third-story window.
9 [VERB] usu cont, V
If your face is burning, it is red because you are embarrassed or upset.
Liz's face was burning.
10 [VERB] V with n, V to-inf
If you are burning with an emotion or are burning to do something, you feel that emotion or the desire to do that thing very strongly.
The young boy was burning with a fierce ambition...
Dan burned to know what the reason could be.
11 [VERB] V, V n
If you burn or get burned in the sun, the sun makes your skin become red and sore.
Build up your tan slowly and don't allow your skin to burn...
Summer sun can burn fair skin in minutes.
12 [VERB] V, V with n, V n
If a part of your body burns or if something burns it, it has a painful, hot or stinging feeling.
My eyes burn from staring at the needle...
His face was burning with cold.
...delicious Indian recipes which won't burn your throat.
13 [VERB] V n
To burn a CD-ROM means to write or copy data onto it. (COMPUTING INFORMAL)
You can use this software to burn custom compilations of your favorite tunes.
14
to burn the candle at both ends: see candle
to get your fingers burned: see finger
to burn something to the ground: see ground
to burn the midnight oil: see midnight
to have money to burn: see money
see also burningburn down
[PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If a building burns down or if someone burns it down, it is completely destroyed by fire.
Six months after Bud died, the house burned down...
Anarchists burnt down a restaurant.burn off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If someone burns off energy, they use it.
This will improve your performance and help you burn off calories.burn out
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V pron-refl P
If a fire burns itself out, it stops burning because there is nothing left to burn.
Fire officials let the fire burn itself out.
2
see also burnout, burnt-outburn up
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something burns up or if fire burns it up, it is completely destroyed by fire or strong heat.
The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up...
Fires have burned up 180,000 acres of timber.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
If something burns up fuel or energy, it uses it.
Brisk walking burns up more calories than slow jogging.slash and burn
also slash-and-burn
[N-UNCOUNT] usu N n
Slash and burn is a method of farming that involves clearing land by destroying and burning all the trees and plants on it, farming there for a short time, and then moving on to clear a new piece of land.
Traditional slash and burn farming methods have exhausted the soil.