IGNITION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does ignition mean? 

• IGNITION (noun)
  The noun IGNITION has 3 senses:

1. the process of initiating combustion or catching fire

2. the mechanism that ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine

3. the act of setting something on fire

  Familiarity information: IGNITION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IGNITION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The process of initiating combustion or catching fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

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

fire; flame; flaming (the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke)

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

spontaneous combustion (ignition of a substance (as oily rags) resulting from an internal oxidation process)

Derivation:

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

The mechanism that ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

ignition; ignition system

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

mechanism (device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function)

Meronyms (parts of "ignition"):

distributer; distributor; electrical distributor (electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence)

ignition coil (an induction coil that converts current from a battery into the high-voltage current required by spark plugs)

ignition switch (switch that operates a solenoid that closes a circuit to operate the starter)

magneto; magnetoelectric machine (a small dynamo with a secondary winding that produces a high voltage enabling a spark to jump between the poles of a spark plug in a gasoline engine)

spark coil (an induction coil used to create sparks)

spark gap (a component of an ignition system; consists of two shaped electrodes and the space between them)

plug; spark plug; sparking plug (electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric spark)

Holonyms ("ignition" is a part of...):

electrical system (equipment in a motor vehicle that provides electricity to start the engine and ignite the fuel and operate the lights and windshield wiper and heater and air conditioner and radio)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of setting something on fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

firing; ignition; inflammation; kindling; lighting

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

burning; combustion (the act of burning something)

Derivation:

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

ignite (start to burn or burst into flames)