See also: FIRE and fíre

English edit

 
A large fire (3)
 
A small fire from a lighter (2)
 
The fire of a stationary minigun (7)

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English fyr, from Old English fȳr (fire), from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (fire) (compare Saterland Frisian Fjuur, West Frisian fjoer, Dutch vuur, Low German Füer, German Feuer, Danish fyr), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥.

Compare Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur), Umbrian pir, Tocharian A/B por/puwar, Czech pýř (hot ashes), Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, fire), and Armenian հուր (hur, fire). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre.

Alternative forms edit

Noun edit

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, Britain) 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
    • 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 7, page 136:
      In the district of Erfurt a very heavy sheaf [...] is called the Great Mother, and is carried on the last waggon to the barn, where all hands lift it down amid a fire of jokes.
  11. (astronautics) An instance of firing one or more rocket engines.
  12. Strength of passion, whether love or hate.
  13. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm.
  14. Splendour; brilliancy; lustre; hence, a star.
  15. A severe trial; anything inflaming or provoking.
  16. Red coloration in a piece of opal.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
  • Japanese: ファイヤー (faiyā)
  • Sranan Tongo: faya
Translations edit

Adjective edit

fire (not comparable) (predicative only)

  1. (slang) Amazing; excellent.
    This is fire, keep up the amazing work!
Alternative forms edit
  • fye (nonstandard, Internet slang)
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

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).

Verb edit

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.
    • 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.["]
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
      That lamp was the mummy of a woman tied to a stout stake let into the rock, and he had fired her hair.
    • 1908, Jack London, The Iron Heel[2], New York: The Macmillan Company:
      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) To terminate the employment contract of (an employee), especially for cause (such as misconduct or poor performance).
    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).
    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).
    He answered the questions the reporters fired at him.
  13. (transitive, intransitive, 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.
    to fire the soul with anger, pride, or revenge
  15. (intransitive, dated) To be irritated or inflamed with passion.
    • 1864, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Uncle Silas:
      Inexperienced girl as I was, I fired at the idea of becoming his dupe, and fancying, perhaps, that there was more in merely answering his note than it would have amounted to, I said — "That kind of thing may answer very well with button-makers, but ladies don't like it. []
    • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Cymon and Iphigenia, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; [], London: [] Jacob Tonson, [], →OCLC:
      Love had fired my mind.
  16. To animate; to give life or spirit to.
    to fire the genius of a young man
  17. To feed or serve the fire of.
    to fire a boiler
    • 1961 March, ""Balmore"", “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 150, 151:
      We left with the "Blue Train", dead on time. This time I fired all the way. [] The next day took me home again on No. E.16 with Henri Dutertre. I fired from Paris to Calais.
  18. (transitive) To light up as if by fire; to illuminate.
  19. (transitive, farriery) To cauterize.
  20. (intransitive, dated) To catch fire; to be kindled.
Conjugation edit
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Interjection edit

fire

  1. command to shoot with firearms
Translations edit

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Asturian edit

Verb edit

fire

  1. third-person singular present indicative of firir

Bavarian edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

fire

  1. ahead, forward (direction away from the speaker)
    Se san fire gångan.They went ahead.

Usage notes edit

Bavarian adverbs of direction come in pairs: endings in -i or -e denote direction away from the speaker (akin to hi), and endings in -a denote direction towards the speaker (akin to her).

Related terms edit

Crimean Tatar edit

Noun edit

fire

  1. shrinkage, loss
  2. scrap

Danish edit

Danish cardinal numbers
 <  3 4 5  > 
    Cardinal : fire
    Ordinal : fjerde

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /fiːrə/, [ˈfiːɐ]

Numeral edit

fire

  1. four
Usage notes edit

In compounds: fir-.

Etymology 2 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /fiːrə/, [ˈfiːɐ]

Verb edit

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.
Conjugation edit

Galician edit

Verb edit

fire

  1. second-person singular imperative of ferir

Italian edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈfi.re/
  • Rhymes: -ire
  • Hyphenation: fì‧re

Verb edit

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. (northern Italy, obsolete) to be
    Synonym: essere

Conjugation edit

  • The only forms attested outside of old Northern Italian literature are the future fia, fie (third-person singular) and fiano, fieno (third-person plural).

Further reading edit

  • fire in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams edit

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Norwegian Bokmål cardinal numbers
 <  3 4 5  > 
    Cardinal : fire
    Ordinal : fjerde

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Numeral edit

fire

  1. four
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

From French virer, via Middle Low German firen.

Verb edit

fire (imperative fir, present tense firer, passive fires, simple past fira or firet or firte, past participle fira or firet or firt, present participle firende)

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

References edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Norwegian Nynorsk cardinal numbers
 <  3 4 5  > 
    Cardinal : fire
    Ordinal : fjerde

Alternative forms edit

Etymology 1 edit

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

Pronunciation edit

IPA(key): /ˈfiːɾə/

Numeral edit

fire

  1. four
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

From French virer, via Middle Low German firen.

Verb edit

fire

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

References edit

Romanian edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

Noun edit

fire n

  1. plural of fir

Etymology 2 edit

From fi +‎ -re.

Noun edit

fire f (plural firi)

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

Turkish edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Greek Φύρα (Fýra).

Noun edit

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

Declension edit

Inflection
Nominative fire
Definite accusative fireyi
Singular Plural
Nominative fire fireler
Definite accusative fireyi fireleri
Dative fireye firelere
Locative firede firelerde
Ablative fireden firelerden
Genitive firenin firelerin