fire

1 noun

1 BURNING (U) the flames, light and heat produced when something burns: The warehouse was completely destroyed by fire. | be on fire (=be burning): The house is on fire! | catch fire/catch on fire (=start to burn): Mary knocked the candle over and the table cloth caught on fire. | set sth on fire/set fire to sth (=make something start burning): Sparks from the fireplace could easily set the curtains on fire. | Rioters set fire to a whole row of stores.

2 UNCONTROLLED FIRE (C) burning material that you did not light deliberately and that burns things you do not want to be damaged: Thirty people died in a fire in downtown Chicago. | start a fire (=deliberately make a fire start burning) | a fire breaks out (=a fire starts suddenly): A fire broke out in the kitchens of the hotel. | put out a fire (=stop a fire burning): It took firemen several hours to put out the fire. | fight a fire (=try to stop a fire burning) | forest/brush fire (=a very large fire in the forest or in an area of grass)

3 CONTROLLED FIRE (C) burning material that you have lit to provide heat, cook food etc: a cheerful fire crackling in the fire place | make/build/light a fire (=start one burning): You put up the tent and I'll start the fire. | put out the fire (=stop it burning): Smoke billowed up as he poured sand over the fire.

4 SHOOTING (U) an act of shooting, especially of many guns at the same time: You will soon be facing enemy fire. | be under fire (=be shot at): Our platoon was under fire from a machine gun position. | come under fire (=be shot at): The planes came under anti-aircraft fire. | open fire (=start shooting): Troops opened fire on the rebels. | hold your fire (=stop shooting) | be in the line of fire (=be where you may be hit if someone shoots)

5 HEATING EQUIPMENT (C) BrE a machine that produces heat to warm a room, using gas or electricity as power: Turn on the fire, I'm cold. | a gas fire

6 CRITICISM under fire being criticized very strongly for something you have done: The committee came under fire from fundamentalist church leaders.

7 an open fire a fire that burns coal or wood in a fireplace

8 gas fired/coal fired etc BrE operated by burning gas, coal etc: a coal fired power station

9 light a fire under sb AmE spoken to do something that makes someone who is being lazy start doing their work

10 EMOTION (U) a very strong emotion that makes you want to think about nothing else

(+ of): the fire of religious fanaticism | be on fire with: Harry was on fire with enthusiasm.

11 INJURY be on fire literary an injured part of your body that is on fire feels very painful

12 go through fire (and water) (for sb) old-fashioned to do something very difficult and dangerous for someone

13 fire and brimstone a phrase describing Hell, used by some religious people

—see also: ceasefire, add fuel to the fire/flames fuel 1 (3), fight fire with fire fight 1 (12), get on like a house on fire house 1 (8), hang fire hang 1 (11), play with fire play 1 (22), there's no smoke without fire smoke 1 (6) USAGE NOTE : FIRE WORD CHOICE: light, set fire to, catch fire, put out, go out, extinguish If you want something to burn you usually light it: She lit a cigarette./the stove/a match You can also set fire to things, especially things that are not supposed to be burnt: Crowds rioted through the street, breaking windows and setting fire to cars. When something begins to burn, especially by accident, it catches fire: The blaze started when some oily rags caught fire. To stop a fire you put it out, or else it may go out on its own (NOT go off). On official notices and instructions you may see extinguish: Will passengers please extinguish all cigarettes. 2 verb

1 SHOOT (I, T) to shoot bullets from a gun, or to shoot small bombs: Roy took careful aim and fired.

(+ at/on/into): Police fired on the crowd. | fire a gun/weapon etc (=make it shoot): The pistol has obviously been fired recently. | fire a shot/bullet/round etc: Who fired the bullet that killed the President? | fire sth at sb: The F16 fighter plane fired two missiles at the enemy aircraft.

2 JOB especially AmE to force someone to leave their job; sack 2 (1) BrE : fire sb for sth: If she stole that money, she'll be fired.

3 EXCITE (T) also fire up to make someone feel very excited or interested in something; inspire : be fired with ambition/longing etc: After reading Steinbeck, Joel was fired with the ambition to become a writer. | fire sb's imagination: Jill's imagination was fired by Granny's stories.

4 ENGINE (I) if a vehicle's engine fires, the petrol is lit to make the engine work

5 CLAY (T) to bake clay pots etc in a kiln: fired earthenware

6 fire questions (at) to ask someone a lot of questions quickly, often in order to criticize them

7 fire away also fire ahead spoken used when you are ready to answer questions: “I have a few questions.” “Fire away.”

8 not firing on all cylinders informal not thinking sensibly, or acting strangely

9 fired up informal excited and eager: We've gotta get fired up for this game or we have no hope of winning!

fire back sth phrasal verb (T) to quickly and angrily answer a question or remark: Claire fired back an angry response. fire off phrasal verb (T)

1 to shoot a weapon, often so that there are no bullets etc left: Chuck reloaded and fired off both barrels.

2 to quickly send an angry letter to someone: I fired off a furious letter to the editor.