combust

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /kəmˈbʌst/ UK /kəmˈbʌst/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to catch fire and burn; to undergo combustion

The dry brush could combust at the slightest spark.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to catch fire and burn; to... burn ignite incinerate kindle inflame

Opposites

extinguish quenchdouse

Word family

Derived forms combustion combustiblecombustor

Related forms combustible combustion

Etymology

From Latin combustus, past participle of comburere ('to burn up'), from com- (intensive) + an assimilated form related to urere ('to burn').

comburere Latin urere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

# combust

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** kəmˈbʌst
**IPA (UK):** kəmˈbʌst

## Meanings
1. to catch fire and burn; to undergo combustion

## Examples
- The dry brush could combust at the slightest spark.

## Synonyms
- burn
- ignite
- incinerate
- kindle
- inflame

## Antonyms
- extinguish
- quench
- douse

## Derived Forms
- combustion
- combustible
- combustor

## Related Forms
- combustible
- combustion

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: comburere
- Root: urere

## Etymology
From Latin combustus, past participle of comburere ('to burn up'), from com- (intensive) + an assimilated form related to urere ('to burn').

## AI Etymology
Combust comes from Latin combustus, past participle of comburere ('to burn up'), from com- (intensive) + an assimilated form related to urere ('to burn'). The historical trail runs through comburere in Latin and urere in Latin. Morphologically, combust is transparent: it draws on Latin combustus, past participle of comburere ('to burn up'), from com- (intensive) + an assimilated form related to urere ('to burn'). Used as a verb, combust now means "catch fire and burn; to undergo combustion", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as combustion, combustible, and combustor and related forms such as combustible and combustion. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

combust

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback