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fire.

A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/ˈfaɪ.ə/Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaɪ̯ə]Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaː(ə)][ˈfɑː(ə)]
  1. A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering.

    uncountable
  2. An instance of this chemical reaction, especially when intentionally created and maintained in a specific location to a useful end (such as a campfire or a hearth fire).

    countable
    We sat about the fire singing songs and telling tales.
  3. The occurrence, often accidental, of fire in a certain place, causing damage and danger.

    countable
    There was a fire at the school last night and the whole place burned down.
    During hot and dry summers many fires in forests are caused by regardlessly discarded cigarette butts.
  4. The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.

    uncountable
  5. A heater or stove used in place of a real fire (such as an electric fire).

    UK · countable
  6. The elements necessary to start a fire.

    countable
    The fire was laid and needed to be lit.
  7. The bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon.

    uncountable
    The fire from the enemy guns kept us from attacking.
  8. A planned bombardment by artillery or similar weapons, or the capability to deliver such.

    countable
    We dominated the battlespace with our fires.
  9. A firearm.

    countable · slang
  10. A barrage, volley

    countable · figuratively
  11. An instance of firing one or more rocket engines.

    countable · uncountable
    static fire
  12. Strength of passion, whether love or hate.

    countable · uncountable
  13. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm.

    countable · uncountable
  14. Splendour; brilliancy; lustre; hence, a star.

    countable · uncountable
  15. A severe trial; anything inflaming or provoking.

    countable · uncountable
  16. Red coloration in a piece of opal.

    countable · uncountable
  17. The capacity of a gemstone, especially a faceted, cut gemstone, that is transparent to visible light, to disperse white light into its multispectral component parts, resulting in a flash of different colors, the richness and dispersion of which increases the gemstone's value.

    countable · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ Proto-Germanic *fōr Proto-West Germanic *fuir Old English fȳr Middle English fyr English fire From Middle English fyr, from Old English fȳr (“fire”), from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥. Cognates See also Scots feier, fyre (“fire”), Yola vier, vire (“fire”), Saterland Frisian Fjuur, Fjúur (“fire”), West Frisian fjoer (“fire”), Alemannic German Füür (“fire”), Bavarian Feia (“fire”), Central Franconian Fauer, Feier, Füür (“fire”), Cimbrian bôar, vaür, vôar (“fire”), Dutch vier, vuur (“fire”), German Feuer (“fire”), German Low German Füer, Füür (“fire”), Luxembourgish Feier (“fire”), Mòcheno vaier (“fire”), Vilamovian faojer (“fire”), West Flemish vier (“fire”), Yiddish פֿײַער (fayer, “fire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fyr (“fire”), Icelandic funi (“fire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn, “fire”). Also, compare Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”), Greek πυρ (pyr, “fire”), Latin pūrgō (“to clean, cleanse, clear, purge, purify”), Umbrian 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir, “fire”), Bulgarian фир (fir, “ooze, pickle, soak”), Polish perz (“smoke”), Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur, “fire”), Luwian 𒉺𒀀𒄷𒌋𒌨 (pāhūr, “fire”), Tocharian A/B por/puwar (“fire”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre.

adj/ˈfaɪ.ə/Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaɪ̯ə]Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaː(ə)][ˈfɑː(ə)]
  1. Amazing; excellent.

    not-comparable · predicative · slang
    This is fire, keep up the amazing work!
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ Proto-Germanic *fōr Proto-West Germanic *fuir Old English fȳr Middle English fyr English fire From Middle English fyr, from Old English fȳr (“fire”), from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥. Cognates See also Scots feier, fyre (“fire”), Yola vier, vire (“fire”), Saterland Frisian Fjuur, Fjúur (“fire”), West Frisian fjoer (“fire”), Alemannic German Füür (“fire”), Bavarian Feia (“fire”), Central Franconian Fauer, Feier, Füür (“fire”), Cimbrian bôar, vaür, vôar (“fire”), Dutch vier, vuur (“fire”), German Feuer (“fire”), German Low German Füer, Füür (“fire”), Luxembourgish Feier (“fire”), Mòcheno vaier (“fire”), Vilamovian faojer (“fire”), West Flemish vier (“fire”), Yiddish פֿײַער (fayer, “fire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fyr (“fire”), Icelandic funi (“fire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn, “fire”). Also, compare Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”), Greek πυρ (pyr, “fire”), Latin pūrgō (“to clean, cleanse, clear, purge, purify”), Umbrian 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir, “fire”), Bulgarian фир (fir, “ooze, pickle, soak”), Polish perz (“smoke”), Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur, “fire”), Luwian 𒉺𒀀𒄷𒌋𒌨 (pāhūr, “fire”), Tocharian A/B por/puwar (“fire”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre.

verb/ˈfaɪ.ə/Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaɪ̯ə]Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaː(ə)][ˈfɑː(ə)]
  1. To set (something, often a building) on fire.

    transitive
  2. To heat as with fire, but without setting on fire, as ceramic, metal objects, etc.

    transitive
    If you fire the pottery at too high a temperature, it may crack.
    They fire the wood to make it easier to put a point on the end.
  3. To drive away by setting a fire.

    transitive
  4. To terminate the employment contract of (an employee), especially for cause (such as misconduct, incompetence, or poor performance).

    transitive
  5. To terminate a contract with a client; to drop a client.

    broadly · transitive
  6. To shoot (a gun, rocket/missile, or analogous device).

    transitive
    We will fire our guns at the enemy.
    The jet fired a salvo of rockets at the truck convoy.
  7. To shoot a gun, cannon, or similar weapon.

    intransitive
    Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.
  8. To operate a rocket engine to produce thrust.

    The RCS thrusters fired several times to stabilize the tumbling spacecraft.
  9. To set off an explosive in a mine.

    transitive
  10. To shoot; to attempt to score a goal.

    transitive
  11. To cause an action potential in a cell.

    intransitive
    When a neuron fires, it transmits information.
  12. To forcibly direct (something).

    transitive
    He answered the questions the reporters fired at him.
  13. To initiate an event (by means of an event handler).

    ambitransitive
    The event handler should only fire after all web page content has finished loading.
    The queue fires a job whenever the thread pool is ready to handle it.
  14. To inflame; to irritate, as the passions.

    transitive
    to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge
  15. To be irritated or inflamed with passion.

    dated · intransitive
  16. To animate; to give life or spirit to.

    to fire the genius of a young man
  17. To feed or serve the fire of.

    to fire a boiler
  18. To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.

    transitive
  19. To cauterize (a horse, or a part of its body).

    transitive
  20. To catch fire; to be kindled.

    dated · intransitive
  21. To work as a fireman, one who keeps the fire under a steam boiler on a steam-powered ship or train.

    dated · intransitive
    I fired on that train until August.
  22. To start (an engine).

    slang · usually
  23. Of a horse: to race ahead with a burst of energy.

    intransitive
  24. To begin cooking an order.

    slang
Where this word comes from

From Middle English firen, fyren, furen, from Old English fȳrian (“to make a fire”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian fioria (“to light a fire”), Saterland Frisian fjuurje (“to fire”), Middle Dutch vûren, vueren, vieren (“to set fire”), Dutch vuren (“to fire, shoot”), Old High German fiuren (“to ignite, set on fire”), German feuern (“to fire”).

intj/ˈfaɪ.ə/Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaɪ̯ə]Received-Pronunciation[ˈfaː(ə)][ˈfɑː(ə)]
  1. Command to shoot with firearms.

Where this word comes from

From Middle English firen, fyren, furen, from Old English fȳrian (“to make a fire”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian fioria (“to light a fire”), Saterland Frisian fjuurje (“to fire”), Middle Dutch vûren, vueren, vieren (“to set fire”), Dutch vuren (“to fire, shoot”), Old High German fiuren (“to ignite, set on fire”), German feuern (“to fire”).

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Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.