combust C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /kəmˈbʌst/ UK /kəmˈbʌst/ See IPA manual 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... burnigniteincineratekindleinflame ↔ Opposites extinguishquenchdouse Word family Derived forms combustioncombustiblecombustor Related forms combustiblecombustion Etymology AI details 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 External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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