burn (burns plural & 3rd person present) (burning present participle) (burned past tense & past participle) (burnt past tense & past participle )
The past tense and past participle is burned in American English, and burned or burnt in British English.
1 verb If there is a fire or a flame somewhere, you say that there is a fire or flame burning there.
Fires were burning out of control in the center of the city... V
There was a fire burning in the large fireplace... V
2 verb If something is burning, it is on fire.
When I arrived one of the vehicles was still burning... V
That boy was rescued from a burning house. V-ing
burning n-uncount
When we arrived in our village there was a terrible smell of burning.
3 verb If you burn something, you destroy or damage it with fire.
Protesters set cars on fire and burned a building... V n
Coal fell out of the fire, and burned the carpet. V n
burning n-uncount
The French government has criticized the burning of a US flag outside the American Embassy.
4 verb If you burn a fuel or if it burns, it is used to produce heat, light, or energy.
The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region... V n
Manufacturers are working with new fuels to find one that burns more cleanly than petrol. V
5 verb If you burn something that you are cooking or if it burns, you spoil it by using too much heat or cooking it for too long.
I burnt the toast... V n
Watch them carefully as they finish cooking because they can burn easily. V
burnt adj
...the smell of burnt toast.
6 verb If you burn part of your body, burnyourself, or are burnt, you are injured by fire or by something very hot.
Take care not to burn your fingers... V n
If you are badly burnt, seek medical attention. be V-ed, Also V pron-refl
Burn is also a noun., n-count
She suffered appalling burns to her back.
7 verb If someone is burnt or burnt to death, they are killed by fire.
usu passive
Women were burned as witches in the middle ages... be V-ed as n
At least 80 people were burnt to death when their bus caught fire. be V-ed to n
8 verb If a light is burning, it is shining.
LITERARY The building was darkened except for a single light burning in a third-story window. V
9 verb If your face is burning, it is red because you are embarrassed or upset.
usu cont
Liz's face was burning. V
10 verb If you are burningwith an emotion or are burningto do something, you feel that emotion or the desire to do that thing very strongly.
The young boy was burning with a fierce ambition... V with n
Dan burned to know what the reason could be. V to-inf
11 verb If you burn or get burned in the sun, the sun makes your skin become red and sore.
Build up your tan slowly and don't allow your skin to burn... V
Summer sun can burn fair skin in minutes. V n
12 verb If a part of your body burns or if something burns it, it has a painful, hot or stinging feeling.
My eyes burn from staring at the needle... V
His face was burning with cold. V with n
...delicious Indian recipes which won't burn your throat. V n
13 verb To burn a CD-ROM means to write or copy data onto it. (COMPUTING, INFORMAL)
You can use this software to burn custom compilations of your favorite tunes. V n
14
→
burning
→
to burn the candle at both ends
→
candle
→
to get your fingers burned
→
finger
→
to burn something to the ground
→
ground
→
to burn the midnight oil
→
midnight
→
to have money to burn
→
money burn down phrasal verb If a building burns down or if someone burns it down, it is completely destroyed by fire.
Six months after Bud died, the house burned down... V P
Anarchists burnt down a restaurant. V P n (not pron), Also V n P burn off phrasal verb If someone burns off energy, they use it.
This will improve your performance and help you burn off calories. V P n (not pron), Also V n P burn out
1 phrasal verb If a fire burnsitselfout, it stops burning because there is nothing left to burn.
Fire officials let the fire burn itself out. V pron-refl P
2
→
burnout
→
burnt-out burn up
1 phrasal verb If something burns up or if fire burns it up, it is completely destroyed by fire or strong heat.
The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up... V P
Fires have burned up 180,000 acres of timber. V P n (not pron), Also V n P
2 phrasal verb If something burns up fuel or energy, it uses it. Brisk walking burns up more calories than slow jogging. V P n (not pron), Also V n P
slash and burn , slash-and-burn
Slash and burn is a method of farming that involves clearing land by destroying and burning all the trees and plants on it, farming there for a short time, and then moving on to clear a new piece of land. n-uncount usu N n
Traditional slash and burn farming methods have exhausted the soil.
