fire [1] (fires plural & 3rd person present) (firing present participle) (fired past tense & past participle ) (BURNING, HEAT, OR ENTHUSIASM)
Please look at category 13 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 n-uncount Fire is the hot, bright flames produced by things that are burning.
They saw a big flash and a huge ball of fire reaching hundreds of feet into the sky..., Many students were trapped by smoke and fire on an upper floor.
2 n-var Fire or a fire is an occurrence of uncontrolled burning which destroys buildings, forests, or other things.
87 people died in a fire at the Happy Land Social Club..., A forest fire is sweeping across portions of north Maine this evening..., Much of historic Rennes was destroyed by fire in 1720.
3 n-count A fire is a burning pile of wood, coal, or other fuel that you make, for example to use for heat, light, or cooking.
There was a fire in the grate..., After the killing, he calmly lit a fire to destroy evidence.
4 n-count A fire is a device that uses electricity or gas to give out heat and warm a room.
(mainly BRIT) oft n N
The gas fire was still alight...
in AM, usually use heater
5 verb When a pot or clay object is fired, it is heated at a high temperature in a special oven, as part of the process of making it.
After the pot is dipped in this mixture, it is fired... be V-ed
6 verb When the engine of a motor vehicle fires, an electrical spark is produced which causes the fuel to burn and the engine to work.
The engine fired and we moved off. V
7 verb If you fire someone with enthusiasm, you make them feel very enthusiastic. If you fire someone's imagination, you make them feel interested and excited.
...the potential to fire the imagination of an entire generation... V n
It was Allen who fired this rivalry with real passion... V n with n
Both his grandfathers were fired with an enthusiasm for public speaking... be V-ed with n
8 n-uncount You can use fire to refer in an approving way to someone's energy and enthusiasm. , (approval)
(=passion)
I went to hear him speak and was very impressed. He seemed so full of fire...
9 If an object or substance catches fire, it starts burning.
catch fire phrase V inflects
The aircraft caught fire soon after take-off.
10 If something is on fire, it is burning and being damaged or destroyed by an uncontrolled fire.
on fire phrase v-link PHR
(=burning)
The captain radioed that the ship was on fire.
11 If you say that someone is playing with fire, you mean that they are doing something dangerous that may result in great harm for them and cause many problems.
play with fire phrase V inflects
Schulte warned government and industrial leaders that those who even venture to think about mass layoffs are playing with fire.
12 If you set fire to something or if you set it on fire, you start it burning in order to damage or destroy it.
set fire to sth, set sth on fire phrase V inflects
They set fire to vehicles outside that building..., Lightning set several buildings on fire.
13
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to have irons on the fire
→
iron
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like a house on fire
→
house
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there's no smoke without fire
→
smoke
