moorburnn.
/ˈmʊəbəːn/, /ˈmɔːbəːn/, U.S. /ˈmʊrˌbərn/, Scottish English /ˈmurbʌrn/ Scottish.† 2. figurative. Uproar, strife; a violent row, an outburst of temper. Obsolete.
1.
a. The action of burning heather and other vegetation on a moor in order to clear the ground for new growth; an instance of this; (also) fire raised for this purpose. Frequently in to make (also raise) (a) moorburn.The practice is subject to various laws, and regarded as an offence if carried out negligently or outside the permitted period of the year.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > [noun] > going or setting on fire > setting on fire or alight > deliberate burning of vegetation
moorburn1424
breneage1535
the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > a fire > [noun] > a kind of fire > other fires
moorburn1424
coal firea1450
commonty fire1573
moor-burning1610
stubble-firea1618
wheel-fire1662
night-fire1687
waterball1696
chip fire1795
neal-fire1813
bratchel1815
forge-fire1855
log-fire1878
electrical fire1900
slash fire1949
dumpster fire1957
chip pan fire1960
chip fire1985
1424 Acts Parl. Scotl. (1814) II. 6/1 It is ordanyt þt na man mak murbyrn eftir þe monethe of marche..vnder þe payne of xls.
1499 in J. Stuart & G. Burnett Exchequer Rolls Scotl. (1888) XI. 395 That thair be na mureburne.
1678 G. Mackenzie Laws & Customes Scotl. ii. 420 They have power to punish..makers of moor-burn, keepers of Crooves, wilful Beggars.
1706 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876) 200 The raisers of Muirburn are finable.
1773 Act 13 Geo. III c. 54 §4 Every Person who shall make Muir~burn, or set fire to any Heath or Muir, in..Scotland,..shall [etc.].
1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders 218 We were now among the burnt heather..kicking up the ashy dust of the March muirburn.
1933 J. Buchan Prince of Captivity 31 A delicate haze of moorburn brooded over [the hills].
1989 W. M. Gordon Sc. Land Law 275 As well as being a statutory offence, negligent muirburn will found an action of reparation.
2021 Herald (Glasgow) 22 May (Mag.) 18/2 'We've stopped muirburn,' he says, of the practice of burning heather on the moor.
b. to spread like moorburn: to spread very rapidly. Cf. wildfire n. 5c.
ΚΠ
1808 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. at Mure In describing the rapid diffusion of opinion..an allusion is often made to the progress of fire through dry heath; It spreads like mure-burn.
1931 ‘I. Burnett’ Ravens enter House ii. i Indeed, now it seemed they were heading for open war. War—it spread like muirburn.
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1728 in P. Walker Six Saints (1901) I. 13 All this moor-burn flowed from Mr. Webster's ill-humour and hot contentious temper.
1839 in J. MacKerrow Hist. Secession Church (1841) 647 I was afraid of raising a muir burn that might not be easily quenched.
1846 W. Cross Disruption ii. 12 Everybody aboot the hoose kens o' the muirburn that the mistress raised on you yestreen for takin' up wi' Miss Migummery.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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