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English Dictionary: Fire by the DICT Development Group
6 results for Fire
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
fire
n
  1. the event of something burning (often destructive); "they lost everything in the fire"
  2. the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire"
    Synonym(s): fire, firing
  3. the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke; "fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries"
    Synonym(s): fire, flame, flaming
  4. a fireplace in which a relatively small fire is burning; "they sat by the fire and talked"
  5. once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
  6. feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
    Synonym(s): ardor, ardour, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness
  7. fuel that is burning and is used as a means for cooking; "put the kettle on the fire"; "barbecue over an open fire"
  8. a severe trial; "he went through fire and damnation"
  9. intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak"
    Synonym(s): fire, attack, flak, flack, blast
v
  1. start firing a weapon
    Synonym(s): open fire, fire
  2. cause to go off; "fire a gun"; "fire a bullet"
    Synonym(s): fire, discharge
  3. bake in a kiln so as to harden; "fire pottery"
  4. terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position; "The boss fired his secretary today"; "The company terminated 25% of its workers"
    Synonym(s): displace, fire, give notice, can, dismiss, give the axe, send away, sack, force out, give the sack, terminate
    Antonym(s): employ, engage, hire
  5. go off or discharge; "The gun fired"
    Synonym(s): fire, discharge, go off
  6. drive out or away by or as if by fire; "The soldiers were fired"; "Surrender fires the cold skepticism"
  7. call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses); "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy"
    Synonym(s): arouse, elicit, enkindle, kindle, evoke, fire, raise, provoke
  8. destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries"
    Synonym(s): burn, fire, burn down
  9. provide with fuel; "Oil fires the furnace"
    Synonym(s): fuel, fire
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Fire \Fire\ (f[imac]r), n. [OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. f[ymac]r; akin
      to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f[ymac]ri,
      f[umac]rr, 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.
  
      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.
  
      2. Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in a
            stove or a furnace.
  
      3. The burning of a house or town; a conflagration.
  
      4. Anything which destroys or affects like fire.
  
      5. Ardor of passion, whether love or hate; excessive warmth;
            consuming violence of temper.
  
                     he had fire in his temper.                  --Atterbury.
  
      6. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral
            enthusiasm; capacity for ardor and zeal.
  
                     And bless their critic with a poet's fire. --Pope.
  
      7. Splendor; brilliancy; luster; hence, a star.
  
                     Stars, hide your fires.                     --Shak.
  
                     As in a zodiac representing the heavenly fires.
                                                                              --Milton.
  
      8. Torture by burning; severe trial or affliction.
  
      9. The discharge of firearms; firing; as, the troops were
            exposed to a heavy fire.
  
      {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

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Fire \Fire\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fired}; p. pr. & vb. n.
      {Fring}.]
      1. To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney;
            to fire a pile.
  
      2. To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln;
            as, to fire pottery.
  
      3. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions; as, to fire the
            soul with anger, pride, or revenge.
  
                     Love had fired my mind.                     --Dryden.
  
      4. To animate; to give life or spirit to; as, to fire the
            genius of a young man.
  
      5. To feed or serve the fire of; as, to fire a boiler.
  
      6. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.
  
                     [The sun] fires the proud tops of the eastern pines.
                                                                              --Shak.
  
      7. To cause to explode; as, to fire a torpedo; to disharge;
            as, to fire a musket or cannon; to fire cannon balls,
            rockets, etc.
  
      8. To drive by fire. [Obs.]
  
                     Till my bad angel fire my good one out. --Shak.
  
      9. (Far.) To cauterize.
  
      {To fire up}, to light up the fires of, as of an engine.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Fire \Fire\, v. i.
      1. To take fire; to be kindled; to kindle.
  
      2. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
  
      3. To discharge artillery or firearms; as, they fired on the
            town.
  
      {To fire up}, to grow irritated or angry. [bd]He . . . fired
            up, and stood vigorously on his defense.[b8] --Macaulay.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Command \Com*mand"\, n.
      1. An authoritative order requiring obedience; a mandate; an
            injunction.
  
                     Awaiting what command their mighty chief Had to
                     impose.                                             --Milton.
  
      2. The possession or exercise of authority.
  
                     Command and force may often create, but can never
                     cure, an aversion.                              --Locke.
  
      3. Authority; power or right of control; leadership; as, the
            forces under his command.
  
      4. Power to dominate, command, or overlook by means of
            position; scope of vision; survey.
  
                     The steepy stand Which overlooks the vale with wide
                     command.                                             --Dryden.
  
      5. Control; power over something; sway; influence; as, to
            have command over one's temper or voice; the fort has
            command of the bridge.
  
                     He assumed an absolute command over his readers.
                                                                              --Dryden.
  
      6. A body of troops, or any naval or military force or post,
            or the whole territory under the authority or control of a
            particular officer.
  
      {Word of command} (Mil.), a word or phrase of definite and
            established meaning, used in directing the movements of
            soldiers; as, {aim}; {fire}; {shoulder arms}, etc.
  
      Syn: Control; sway; power; authority; rule; dominion;
               sovereignty; mandate; order; injunction; charge; behest.
               See {Direction}.

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
   Fire
      (1.) For sacred purposes. The sacrifices were consumed by fire
      (Gen. 8:20). The ever-burning fire on the altar was first
      kindled from heaven (Lev. 6:9, 13; 9:24), and afterwards
      rekindled at the dedication of Solomon's temple (2 Chr. 7:1, 3).
      The expressions "fire from heaven" and "fire of the Lord"
      generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the
      altar was so called (Ex. 29:18; Lev. 1:9; 2:3; 3:5, 9).
     
         Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the
      altar was called "strange fire" (Lev. 10:1, 2; Num. 3:4).
     
         The victims slain for sin offerings were afterwards consumed
      by fire outside the camp (Lev. 4:12, 21; 6:30; 16:27; Heb.
      13:11).
     
         (2.) For domestic purposes, such as baking, cooking, warmth,
      etc. (Jer. 36:22; Mark 14:54; John 18:18). But on Sabbath no
      fire for any domestic purpose was to be kindled (Ex. 35:3; Num.
      15:32-36).
     
         (3.) Punishment of death by fire was inflicted on such as were
      guilty of certain forms of unchastity and incest (Lev. 20:14;
      21:9). The burning of captives in war was not unknown among the
      Jews (2 Sam. 12:31; Jer. 29:22). The bodies of infamous persons
      who were executed were also sometimes burned (Josh. 7:25; 2
      Kings 23:16).
     
         (4.) In war, fire was used in the destruction of cities, as
      Jericho (Josh. 6:24), Ai (8:19), Hazor (11:11), Laish (Judg.
      18:27), etc. The war-chariots of the Canaanites were burnt
      (Josh. 11:6, 9, 13). The Israelites burned the images (2 Kings
      10:26; R.V., "pillars") of the house of Baal. These objects of
      worship seem to have been of the nature of obelisks, and were
      sometimes evidently made of wood.
     
         Torches were sometimes carried by the soldiers in battle
      (Judg. 7:16).
     
         (5.) Figuratively, fire is a symbol of Jehovah's presence and
      the instrument of his power (Ex. 14:19; Num. 11:1, 3; Judg.
      13:20; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10, 12; 2:11; Isa. 6:4; Ezek.
      1:4; Rev. 1:14, etc.).
     
         God's word is also likened unto fire (Jer. 23:29). It is
      referred to as an emblem of severe trials or misfortunes (Zech.
      12:6; Luke 12:49; 1 Cor. 3:13, 15; 1 Pet. 1:7), and of eternal
      punishment (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:44; Rev. 14:10; 21:8).
     
         The influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire (Matt.
      3:11). His descent was denoted by the appearance of tongues as
      of fire (Acts 2:3).
     
No guarantee of accuracy or completeness!
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