fire

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy

   hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes

2. 2
   noun

   a fireplace in which a relatively small fire is burning

   they sat by the fire and talked

3. 3
   noun

   intense adverse criticism

   The president directed their fire at the opposition.

4. 4
   noun

   the event of something burning (often destructive)

   they lost everything in the fire

5. 5
   noun

   a severe trial

   I went through fire to get you this gift.

6. 6
   noun

   the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke

   fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries

7. 7
   noun

   fuel that is burning and is used as a means for cooking

   put the kettle on the fire

8. 8
   verb

   bake in a kiln so as to harden

   fire pottery

Etymology

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”), M…