fire - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

A large fire (3)

A small fire from a lighter (2)

The fire of a stationary minigun (7)

Proto-Germanic *fōr

Proto-West Germanic *fuir

Old English fȳr

Middle English fyr

English fire

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”), Mòcheno vaier (“fire”), Vilamovian faojer (“fire”), West Flemish vier (“fire”), Yiddish פֿײַער (fayer, “fire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fyr (“fire”), Icelandic funi (“fire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn, “fire”). Also, compare Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”), Greek πυρ (pyr, “fire”), Latin pūrgō (“to clean, cleanse, clear, purge, purify”), Umbrian 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir, “fire”), Bulgarian фир (fir, “ooze, pickle, soak”), Polish perz (“smoke”), Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur, “fire”), Luwian 𒉺𒀀𒄷𒌋𒌨 (pāhūr, “fire”), Tocharian A/B por/puwar (“fire”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre.

fire (countable and uncountable, plural fires)

  1. (uncountable) A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering.
  2. (countable) An instance of this chemical reaction, especially when intentionally created and maintained in a specific location to a useful end (such as a campfire or a hearth fire).
    We sat about the fire singing songs and telling tales.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VIII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      We toted in the wood and got the fire going nice and comfortable. Lord James still set in one of the chairs and Applegate had cabbaged the other and was hugging the stove.
  3. (countable) The occurrence, often accidental, of fire in a certain place, causing damage and danger.
    There was a fire at the school last night and the whole place burned down.
    During hot and dry summers many fires in forests are caused by regardlessly discarded cigarette butts.
    • 2020 January 1, Bernard Lagan, “Thousands flee to beaches as the flames close in”, in The Times, number 73,044, page 24:
      Efforts to fight the fires in New South Wales and Victoria were hampered as large fires converged and created their own violent weather systems. The fire created dry lightning storms so severe that planes had to be grounded.
  4. (uncountable, alchemy, philosophy) The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
  5. (countable, British) A heater or stove used in place of a real fire (such as an electric fire).
  6. (countable) The elements necessary to start a fire.
    The fire was laid and needed to be lit.
  7. (uncountable) The bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon.
    The fire from the enemy guns kept us from attacking.
  8. (countable) A planned bombardment by artillery or similar weapons, or the capability to deliver such.
    We dominated the battlespace with our fires.
  9. (countable, African-American Vernacular, slang) A firearm.
    • 2023 June 23, “Special K” (track 7), in BLP Kosher (lyrics), Bars Mitzva‎[1], 2:01:
      I used to work at Five Below but now I keep that fire below
  10. (countable, figurative) A barrage, volley
  1. (astronautics) An instance of firing one or more rocket engines.
  2. Strength of passion, whether love or hate.
  1. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm.
  1. Splendour; brilliancy; lustre; hence, a star.
  1. A severe trial; anything inflaming or provoking.
  2. Red coloration in a piece of opal.
  3. (gemology) The capacity of a gemstone, especially a faceted, cut gemstone, that is transparent to visible light, to disperse white light into its multispectral component parts, resulting in a flash of different colors, the richness and dispersion of which increases the gemstone's value.

fire (not comparable) (predicative only)

  1. (slang) Amazing; excellent.
    This is fire, keep up the amazing work!

slang: amazing

From Middle English firen, fyren, furen, from Old English fȳrian (“to make a fire”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian fioria (“to light a fire”), Saterland Frisian fjuurje (“to fire”), Middle Dutch vûren, vueren, vieren (“to set fire”), Dutch vuren (“to fire, shoot”), Old High German fiuren (“to ignite, set on fire”), German feuern (“to fire”).

fire (third-person singular simple present fires, present participle firing, simple past and past participle fired)

  1. (transitive) To set (something, often a building) on fire.
    Synonyms: inflame, kindle; see also Thesaurus:kindle
    • 1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “At the House in Great Portland Street”, in The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 186:
      ["]Then I slipped up again with a box of matches, fired my heap of paper and rubbish, put the chairs and bedding thereby, led the gas to the affair, by means of an india-rubber tube, and waving a farewell to the room left it for the last time." / "You fired the house!" exclaimed Kemp. / "Fired the house. It was the only way to cover my trail – and no doubt it was insured.["]
    • 1908 February 19, Jack London, The Iron Heel, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC:
      It was long a question of debate, whether the burning of the South Side ghetto was accidental, or whether it was done by the Mercenaries; but it is definitely settled now that the ghetto was fired by the Mercenaries under orders from their chiefs.
  2. (transitive) To heat as with fire, but without setting on fire, as ceramic, metal objects, etc.
    If you fire the pottery at too high a temperature, it may crack.
    They fire the wood to make it easier to put a point on the end.
    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
      So this was my future home, I thought! Certainly it made a brave picture. I had seen similar ones fired-in on many a Heidelberg stein. Backed by towering hills, […] a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
  3. (transitive) To drive away by setting a fire.
  4. (transitive, employment) To terminate the employment contract of (an employee), especially for cause (such as misconduct, incompetence, or poor performance).
    Synonyms: dehire, dismiss, give someone their cards, give the boot, give the elbow, give someone the heave-ho, let go, make redundant, sack, terminate, throw out, unhire; see also Thesaurus:lay off
    Antonym: hire
    • 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 226:
      The first, obvious choice was hysterical and fantastic Blanche – had there not been her timidity, her fear of being ‘fired’ […].
  5. (transitive, by extension) To terminate a contract with a client; to drop a client.
    • 1979, Richard Collins Rea, Operating a Successful Accounting Practice: A Collection of Material from the Journal of Accountancy Practitioners Forum, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 288:
      Don't be hesitant to fire a client - cull out the deadwood. If a client doesn't meet the above criteria, you are better off without him. You don't do your best work for a client you'd rather not have.
    • 2020, Rebecca Migdal, Museum Mercenary: A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 278:
      Maintaining a collegial attitude even when doing the more difficult business work, like firing a client, is another part. If you are struggling through the relationship, the client might be struggling as well, so firing them may be mutually beneficial, and you should try and do it on the best of terms.
  6. (transitive) To shoot (a gun, rocket/missile, or analogous device).
    Synonyms: let off, (archery) loose, shoot
    We will fire our guns at the enemy.
    The jet fired a salvo of rockets at the truck convoy.
    He fired his radar gun at passing cars.
  7. (intransitive) To shoot a gun, cannon, or similar weapon.
    Synonyms: open fire, shoot
    Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.
    • 1989, Dolores Zen, transl., Last Chance in Manchuria‎[3], Hoover Institution Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 93:
      I heard that both yesterday and today, when transports of the central government carrying our soldiers arrived at Hu-lu-tao, bandit troops on the shore fired at them.
  8. (astronautics) To operate a rocket engine to produce thrust.
    The RCS thrusters fired several times to stabilize the tumbling spacecraft.
  9. (transitive, mining) To set off an explosive in a mine.
  10. (transitive, sports) To shoot; to attempt to score a goal.
  11. (intransitive, physiology) To cause an action potential in a cell.
    When a neuron fires, it transmits information.
  12. (transitive) To forcibly direct (something).
    Synonyms: propel, shoot, throw
    He answered the questions the reporters fired at him.
  13. (ambitransitive, computer sciences, software engineering) To initiate an event (by means of an event handler).
    The event handler should only fire after all web page content has finished loading.
    The queue fires a job whenever the thread pool is ready to handle it.
  14. (transitive) To inflame; to irritate, as the passions.
    Synonyms: arouse, excite; see also Thesaurus:thrill, Thesaurus:incite
    to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge
  15. (intransitive, dated) To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
  1. To animate; to give life or spirit to.
    Synonyms: energize, inspirit; see also Thesaurus:enliven
    to fire the genius of a young man
  2. To feed or serve the fire of.
    to fire a boiler
  1. (transitive) To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.
    Synonyms: belight; see also Thesaurus:illuminate
  1. (transitive, farriery) To cauterize (a horse, or a part of its body).
  2. (intransitive, dated) To catch fire; to be kindled.
    Synonyms: go up in flames; see also Thesaurus:combust
  3. (intransitive, dated) To work as a fireman, one who keeps the fire under a steam boiler on a steam-powered ship or train.
    I fired on that train until August.
  4. (slang, usually with "up") To start (an engine).
  5. (horse racing, intransitive) Of a horse: to race ahead with a burst of energy.

to heat pottery, etc.

to drive away by setting a fire

to terminate the employment of

transitive: to shoot

intransitive: to shoot

to inflame; to irritate, as the passions

to animate; to give life or spirit to

to light up as if by fire

to be irritated or inflamed with passion

Translations to be checked

fire

  1. Command to shoot with firearms.

While this term is commonly used in archery in modern-day contexts, this is technically incorrect. The correct term in archery is loose.

fire

  1. third-person singular present indicative of firir

From Middle High German vürhin, fürhin, equivalent to fia + hi. Compare archaic German fürhin.

fire

  1. alternative spelling of fiare

fire

  1. shrinkage, loss
  2. scrap

Danish numbers (edit)

| | 40 | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ------------------------------ | | ← 3 | 4 | 5 → | | Cardinal: fire Ordinal: fjerde | | | | Danish Wikipedia article on 4 | | |

From Old Norse fjórir, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”).

fire

  1. four

In compounds: fir-.

From Middle Low German fīren, from French virer (“bear, veer”).

fire (imperative fir, infinitive at fire, present tense firer, past tense firede, perfect tense har firet)

  1. to lower something fixed to a rope or something similar
    • 1871, Jens Andreas Friis, Lappisk Mythologi, page 138:
      Saa gik han hen og firede Stenen og Vidietouget ned i Hullet.
      Then he went [to the hole] and lowered the rock and the wicker rope down into the hole.
    • 2014, Teddy Vork, Diget, Tellerup A/S, →ISBN:
      Han satte sig på knæ, famlede sig frem til tovet og vendte sig rundt så han havde ryggen til hullet, drejede overkroppen bagud, firede faklen ned i hullet.
      He kneeled, fumbled his way to the rope and turned around, such that his back was to the hole, twisted his torso backwards, lowered the torch into the hole.

fire

  1. second-person singular imperative of ferir
Verify A user has added this entry to requests for verification(+) with the reason: “was the infinitive ever used in Italian? If not let's keep these forms only under essere. If kept forms should maybe be put as present, though fieno and fie are not inherited from fiunt/fit, they are reanalyzable as present.”
If it cannot be verified that this term meets our attestation criteria, it will be deleted. Feel free to edit this entry as normal, but do not remove {{rfv}} until the request has been resolved.

From Vulgar Latin *fīre, from Latin fīerī (“to become, be”). Compare Romanian fi.

**fìre (third-person only, no present, no past historic, no past participle, no imperfect, third-person singular future fìa or fìe, no subjunctive, no imperfect subjunctive)

  1. (archaic, poetic, northern Italy) to become; (in a future sense) to be
    Synonym: essere

The only 3rd-person forms attested outside of old Northern Italian literature are morphologically and historically future (and/or subjunctive); they were used suppletively for future indicative forms of essere, chiefly in poetry.

Conjugation of fìre (-ire; third-person only; irregular; defective) (See Appendix:Italian verbs)

infinitive fìre
auxiliary verb — gerund —
present participle — past participle —
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative io tu lui/lei, esso/essa noi voi loro, essi/esse
present — — — — — —
imperfect — — — — — —
past historic — — — — — —
future — — fìa, fìe — — fìano, fìeno, fìero, fìaro
conditional — — — — — —
subjunctive che io che tu che lui/che lei, che esso/che essa che noi che voi che loro, che essi/che esse
present — — — — — —
imperfect — — — — — —
imperative — tu Lei noi voi Loro
— — — — —
negative imperative — — — — —

Norwegian Bokmål cardinal numbers

< 3 4 5 >
Cardinal : fire Ordinal : fjerde

Inherited from Danish fire, from Old Norse fjórir, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, which see.

fire

  1. four

Inherited from Danish fire, from Middle Low German vîren, from Old French virer, of uncertain origin, but probably from Latin vībrare. If so, a doublet of vibrere. Cognate with English veer, which compare.

fire (present tense firer, past tense fira or firet or firte, past participle fira or firet or firt)

  1. to slacken, ease
  2. to lower (a flag)

Norwegian Nynorsk cardinal numbers

< 3 4 5 >
Cardinal : fire Ordinal : fjerde

From Danish fire, Old Norse fjórir, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from *kʷetwṓr, the neuter form of Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres.

fire

  1. four

From French virer, via Middle Low German firen.

fire

  1. to slacken, ease
  2. to lower (e.g. a flag)

fire n

  1. plural of fir

From fi +‎ -re.

fire f (plural firi)

  1. essence, substance, nature
    Synonym: natură
  2. character, temper, disposition
    Synonyms: caracter, temperament
  3. mind
    Synonym: minte

Borrowed from Greek Φύρα (Fýra).

fire (definite accusative fireyi, plural fireler)

  1. wastage
  2. outage
  3. shrinkage, loss, loss in weight, decrease
  4. turnover
  5. ullage
  6. leakage
  7. waste, tret, deficiency