“fires” is a form of
fire
UK /ˈfaɪ.ə/ · US /ˈfaɪ.ɚ/ noun, adjective, verb, interjection
Forms fires firing fired firest firedst fireth fier fye
- noun (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.
- noun (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.”
- noun (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.”
- noun (uncountable, alchemy, philosophy) The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
- noun (countable, UK) A heater or stove used in place of a real fire (such as an electric fire).
- noun (countable) The elements necessary to start a fire. “The fire was laid and needed to be lit.”
- noun (uncountable) The bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon. “The fire from the enemy guns kept us from attacking.”
- noun (countable) A planned bombardment by artillery or similar weapons, or the capability to deliver such. “We dominated the battlespace with our fires.”
- adjective (slang) Amazing; excellent. “This is fire, keep up the amazing work!”
- verb (transitive) To set (something, often a building) on fire.
- verb (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.”
- verb (transitive) To drive away by setting a fire.
- verb (transitive, employment) To terminate the employment contract of (an employee), especially for cause (such as misconduct, incompetence, or poor performance).
- verb (transitive, by extension) To terminate a contract with a client; to drop a client.
- verb (transitive) To shoot (a gun, rocket/missile, or analogous device). “We will fire our guns at the enemy.”
- verb (intransitive) To shoot a gun, cannon, or similar weapon. “Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”
- verb (astronautics) To operate a rocket engine to produce thrust. “The RCS thrusters fired several times to stabilize the tumbling spacecraft.”
- interjection Command to shoot with firearms.
Synonyms
blaze flame conflagration inferno inflame kindle aflame alight conflagrate fire up ignite enkindle light light up set ablaze set afire set aflame set alight set fire set on fire firing flaming ardor ardour fervor fervour fervency fervidness attack flak
Antonyms
Etymology
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.
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.
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The evolution of light and heat in the combustion of bodies; combustion; state of ignition.
- noun Fuel in a state of combustion, as on a hearth, or in
- verb To set on fire; to kindle; as, to fire a house or chimney; to fire a pile.
- verb To subject to intense heat; to bake; to burn in a kiln; as, to fire pottery.
Etymology [OE. fir, fyr, fur AS. fr; akin to D. vuur, OS. & OHG. fiur, G. feuer, Icel. f, f, Gr. purus pure, E. pure Cf. Empyrean, Pyre.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fire”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details