burning
    adj 1: of immediate import; "burning issues of the day"
    n 1: the act of burning something; "the burning of leaves was
         prohibited by a town ordinance" [syn: burning,
         combustion]
    2: pain that feels hot as if it were on fire [syn: burn,
       burning]
    3: a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give
       heat and light [syn: combustion, burning]
    4: execution by electricity [syn: electrocution, burning]
    5: execution by fire [syn: burning, burning at the stake]
    6: a form of torture in which cigarettes or cigars or other hot
       implements are used to burn the victim's skin

Burn \Burn\ (b[^u]rn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burned (b[^u]rnd)
   or Burnt (b[^u]rnt); p. pr. & vb. n. Burning.] [OE.
   bernen, brennen, v. t., early confused with beornen, birnen,
   v. i., AS. b[ae]rnan, bernan, v. t., birnan, v. i.; akin to
   OS. brinnan, OFries. barna, berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G.
   brennen, OD. bernen, D. branden, Dan. br[ae]nde, Sw.
   br[aum]nna, brinna, Icel. brenna, Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in
   comp.), and possibly to E. fervent.]
   1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of
      heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn
      up wood. "We'll burn his body in the holy place." --Shak.
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   2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some
      property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or
      heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char;
      to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face
      in the sun; the sun burns the grass.
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   3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the
      action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to
      destroy or change some property or properties of, by
      exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a
      desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn
      clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to
      produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.
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   4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the
      application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn
      charcoal; to burn letters into a block.
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   5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by
      action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does;
      as, to burn the mouth with pepper.
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            This tyrant fever burns me up.        --Shak.
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            This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. --Dryden.
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            When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth
            the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and
            consumeth the ??ass as fire.          --Ecclus.
                                                  xliii. 20, 21.
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   6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.
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   7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active
      agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as,
      a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each
      respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.
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   To burn, To burn together, as two surfaces of metal
      (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a
      quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

   To burn a bowl (Game of Bowls), to displace it
      accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be
      burned.

   To burn daylight, to light candles before it is dark; to
      waste time; to perform superfluous actions. --Shak.

   To burn one's fingers, to get one's self into unexpected
      trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others,
      speculation, etc.

   To burn out,
      (a) to destroy or obliterate by burning. "Must you with
          hot irons burn out mine eyes?" --Shak.
      (b) to force (people) to flee by burning their homes or
          places of business; as, the rioters burned out the
          Chinese businessmen.

   To be burned out, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of
      one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

   To burn up, To burn down, to burn entirely.
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Burning \Burn"ing\, a.
   1. That burns; being on fire; excessively hot; fiery.
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   2. Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement;
      powerful; as, burning zeal.
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            Like a young hound upon a burning scent. --Dryden.
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   Burning bush (Bot.), an ornamental shrub (Euonymus
      atropurpureus), bearing a crimson berry.
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Burning \Burn"ing\, n.
   The act of consuming by fire or heat, or of subjecting to the
   effect of fire or heat; the state of being on fire or
   excessively heated.
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   Burning fluid, any volatile illuminating oil, as the
      lighter petroleums (naphtha, benzine), or oil of
      turpentine (camphine), but esp. a mixture of the latter
      with alcohol.

   Burning glass, a convex lens of considerable size, used for
      producing an intense heat by converging the sun's rays to
      a focus.

   Burning house (Metal.), the furnace in which tin ores are
      calcined, to sublime the sulphur and arsenic from the
      pyrites. --Weale.

   Burning mirror, a concave mirror, or a combination of plane
      mirrors, used for the same purpose as a burning glass.
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   Syn: Combustion; fire; conflagration; flame; blaze.
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BURNING. Vide Accident; Arson; Fire, accidental.