BURN (burnt)

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does burn mean? 

• BURN (noun)
  The noun BURN has 5 senses:

1. pain that feels hot as if it were on fire

2. a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun

3. an injury caused by exposure to heat or chemicals or radiation

4. a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body)

5. damage inflicted by fire

  Familiarity information: BURN used as a noun is common.

• BURN (verb)
  The verb BURN has 15 senses:

1. destroy by fire

2. shine intensely, as if with heat

3. undergo combustion

4. cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

5. cause to burn or combust

6. feel strong emotion, especially anger or passion

7. cause to undergo combustion

8. execute by tying to a stake and setting alight

9. spend (significant amounts of money)

10. feel hot or painful

11. burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent

12. get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun

13. create by duplicating data

14. use up (energy)

15. damage by burning with heat, fire, or radiation

  Familiarity information: BURN used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BURN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pain that feels hot as if it were on fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

burn; burning

Hypernyms ("burn" is a kind of...):

hurting; pain (a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder)

Derivation:

burn (cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort)

burn (feel hot or painful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

burn; sunburn; suntan; tan

Hypernyms ("burn" is a kind of...):

hyperpigmentation (unusual darkening of the skin)

Derivation:

burn (get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An injury caused by exposure to heat or chemicals or radiation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("burn" is a kind of...):

harm; hurt; injury; trauma (any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "burn"):

electric burn (a burn caused by heat produced by an electric current)

scorch; singe (a surface burn)

scald (a burn cause by hot liquid or steam)

first-degree burn (burn causing redness of the skin surface)

second-degree burn (burn causing blisters on the skin and superficial destruction of the dermis)

third-degree burn (burn characterized by destruction of both epidermis and dermis)

Derivation:

burn (burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

burn; burn mark

Hypernyms ("burn" is a kind of...):

blemish; defect; mar (a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "burn"):

cigarette burn (a burn mark left by a smoldering cigarette)

Derivation:

burn (damage by burning with heat, fire, or radiation)

burn (cause to undergo combustion)

burn (destroy by fire)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Damage inflicted by fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("burn" is a kind of...):

damage; harm; hurt; scathe (the act of damaging something or someone)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "burn"):

scald (the act of burning with steam or hot water)

Derivation:

burn (undergo combustion)

burn (cause to undergo combustion)

burn (damage by burning with heat, fire, or radiation)

• BURN (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Destroy by fire

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

burn; burn down; fire

Context example:

They burned the house and his diaries

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

destroy; ruin (destroy completely; damage irreparably)

Verb group:

burn; combust (undergo combustion)

burn; incinerate (cause to undergo combustion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

backfire (set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire)

cremate (reduce to ashes)

torch (burn maliciously, as by arson)

scorch (destroy completely by or as if by fire)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They burn the trees

Derivation:

burn (a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body))

burnable (capable of burning)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Shine intensely, as if with heat

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

burn; glow

Context example:

The candles were burning

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

beam; shine (emit light; be bright, as of the sun or a light)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

gutter (burn unsteadily, feebly, or low; flicker)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

Lights burn on the horizon
The horizon is burning with lights

Sense 3

Meaning:

Undergo combustion

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

burn; combust

Context example:

Maple wood burns well

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Verb group:

burn; burn down; fire (destroy by fire)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

deflagrate (burn with great heat and intense light)

blaze (burn brightly and intensely)

blaze up; burn up; flame up; flare (burn brightly)

flame (be in flames or aflame)

scorch; sear; singe (become superficially burned)

smolder; smoulder (burn slowly and without a flame)

burn down; burn up; go up (burn completely; be consumed or destroyed by fire)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

The wooden sticks burn
These fabrics burn easily

Derivation:

burn (damage inflicted by fire)

burnable (capable of burning)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

bite; burn; sting

Context example:

The sun burned his face

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

ache; hurt; smart (be the source of pain)

Verb group:

burn (feel hot or painful)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

nettle; urticate (sting with or as with nettles and cause a stinging pain or sensation)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

burn (pain that feels hot as if it were on fire)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to burn or combust

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

burn; combust

Context example:

We combust coal and other fossil fuels

Cause:

burn; combust (undergo combustion)

Verb group:

catch fire; combust; conflagrate; erupt; ignite; take fire (start to burn or burst into flames)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

ignite; light (cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat)

set ablaze; set afire; set aflame; set on fire (set fire to; cause to start burning)

char; coal (burn to charcoal)

deflagrate (cause to burn rapidly and with great intensity)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They burn the trees

Derivation:

burnable (capable of burning)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Feel strong emotion, especially anger or passion

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

He was burning to try out his new skies

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Cause to undergo combustion

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

burn; incinerate

Context example:

The car burns only Diesel oil

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Verb group:

burn; burn down; fire (destroy by fire)

incinerate (become reduced to ashes)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

burn (damage inflicted by fire)

burn (a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body))

burnable (capable of burning)

burner (an apparatus for burning fuel (or refuse))

Sense 8

Meaning:

Execute by tying to a stake and setting alight

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

Witches were burned in Salem

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

execute; put to death (kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment)

"Burn" entails doing...:

burn; burn down; fire (destroy by fire)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 9

Meaning:

Spend (significant amounts of money)

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

He has money to burn

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

blow; squander; waste (spend thoughtlessly; throw away)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Feel hot or painful

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

My eyes are burning

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

ache; hurt; smart (be the source of pain)

Verb group:

bite; burn; sting (cause a sharp or stinging pain or discomfort)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

burn (pain that feels hot as if it were on fire)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

burn; cauterise; cauterize

Context example:

The surgeon cauterized the wart

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

care for; treat (provide treatment for)

burn (damage by burning with heat, fire, or radiation)

"Burn" entails doing...:

scorch; sear (make very hot and dry)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

burn (an injury caused by exposure to heat or chemicals or radiation)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Get a sunburn by overexposure to the sun

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

burn; sunburn

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

color; colour; discolor; discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

burn (a browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun)

Sense 13

Meaning:

Create by duplicating data

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

burn; cut

Context example:

burn a CD

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

create; make; produce (create or manufacture a man-made product)

Verb group:

cut (record a performance on (a medium))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 14

Meaning:

Use up (energy)

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

burn; burn off; burn up

Context example:

burn off calories through vigorous exercise

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

consume; deplete; eat; eat up; exhaust; run through; use up; wipe out (use up (resources or materials))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 15

Meaning:

Damage by burning with heat, fire, or radiation

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The iron burnt a hole in my dress

Hypernyms (to "burn" is one way to...):

damage (inflict damage upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "burn"):

scald (burn with a hot liquid or steam)

burn; cauterise; cauterize (burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent)

blacken; char; scorch; sear (burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

burnable (capable of burning)

burn (a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body))

burn (damage inflicted by fire)

 Context examples 

A burn is damage to your body's tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight or radiation.

(Burns, NIH: National Institute of General Medical Sciences)

I have some remembrance, said he, that on the day when my uncle burned the papers I observed that the small, unburned margins which lay amid the ashes were of this particular colour.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A first degree burn is associated with redness, a second degree burn with vesication and a third degree burn with necrosis through the entire skin.

(Burn, Food and Drug Administration)

A condition characterized by a burning or tingling sensation on the lips, tongue, or entire mouth.

(Burning Mouth Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Their eyes are toil-mad and hunger-mad, and burn like fire deep in their heads.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Burns can be caused by exposure to chemicals, direct heat, electricity, flames and radiation.

(Burn, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

She and all the firemen smelled the burned flesh from inside it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Benzo(a)pyrene can cause a skin rash, a burning feeling, skin color changes, warts, and bronchitis.

(Benzo(a)pyrene, NCI Dictionary)

You may need it if you have been badly burned, have liver failure or a severe infection.

(Blood Transfusion and Donation, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

It may be used on certain wounds and burns, and to treat the redness, burning, and peeling caused by radiation therapy.

(Biafine cream, NCI Dictionary)