Fire - Definition

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" [syn: 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" [syn: 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" [syn: 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" [syn: fire, attack, flak,
flack, blast]
v 1: start firing a weapon [syn: open fire, fire]
2: cause to go off; "fire a gun"; "fire a bullet" [syn: 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" [syn: displace, fire,
give notice, can, dismiss, give the axe, send away,
sack, force out, give the sack, terminate] [ant:
employ, engage, hire]
5: go off or discharge; "The gun fired" [syn: 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" [syn: arouse,
elicit, enkindle, kindle, evoke, fire, raise,
provoke]
8: destroy by fire; "They burned the house and his diaries"
[syn: burn, fire, burn down]
9: provide with fuel; "Oil fires the furnace" [syn: fuel,
fire]