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单词 fire
释义

fire

/ˈfʌɪə /
noun [mass noun]
1A process in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke; combustion or burning: his house was destroyed by fire...
  • Suddenly a bright light, fire in fact, flared in front of her face, and a torch was lit.
  • When the kill had been made, Jimmy would light a small heather fire to make a smoke signal.
  • Even at one in the morning, they did not flinch when a roaring explosion of fire and smoke lit the sky behind them.
1.1 [count noun] A destructive burning of something: a fire at a hotel...
  • At times the reserve staff will start a ‘cold’ fire that is less destructive than latter fires when the grass becomes dry.
  • Many destructive fires start during such times since potential fire hazards can go unnoticed in the relative darkness.
  • One of the biggest and most destructive of those fires is bearing down on another resort town, Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County.

Synonyms

blaze, conflagration, inferno, holocaust, firestorm;
flames, burning, combustion
1.2 [count noun] A collection of fuel, especially coal or wood, burnt in a controlled way to provide heat or a means for cooking: we had a bath in a tin tub by the fire...
  • Columns of smoke from cooking fires and controlled burns seemed to dangle groundward from the sky.
  • Conditions were primitive and patients arrived suffering from malaria, crocodile or snake bites, or burns from open cooking fires.
  • Under five sawn-off oil barrels fierce wood fires are burning: on top of them are the woks of giants, each as wide as I can stretch my arms.
1.3 [count noun] (also electric fire or gas fire) chiefly British A domestic heating appliance that uses electricity or gas as fuel: she was freezing and keeping the fire low to save money...
  • Similarly, people may gain heat radiating from hot walls, concrete, or sand in a hot environment, as well as from fires or central heating radiators in the cold.
  • The rules apply to all gas appliances, including central heating boilers, water heaters, fires and cookers.
  • He has been undertaking a variety of projects including fitting central heating and fires.

Synonyms

heater, radiator, convector
1.4One of the four elements in ancient and medieval philosophy and in astrology (considered essential to the nature of the signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius): [as modifier]: a fire sign...
  • Jupiter has rulership in the remaining fire sign Sagittarius, so he is the participating ruler.
  • The Emperor is often associated with Aries, which is a strong and assertive astrological fire sign.
  • Like all the fire signs, Leos are idealistic and don't hold back from expressing their passion.
2A burning sensation: [count noun]: the whisky lit a fire in the back of his throat...
  • The minute her hand made contact with the metal a very sharp pain that felt like fire ran up her entire arm.
  • Brad's eyes bugged out and he clutched his face as pain like fire ripped through his head.
2.1Fervent or passionate emotion or enthusiasm: the fire of their religious conviction...
  • Tony's fire and enthusiasm has always been a delight, but desire gets you nowhere by itself.
  • It was a great team effort with the lads playing with fire, passion, determination and a tremendous will to win.
  • It was played with passion and fire, by a massive orchestra.

Synonyms

dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, ebullience, zest, elan;
passion, ardour, impetuosity, intensity, zeal, spirit, life, liveliness, verve, vivacity, vivaciousness;
sparkle, scintillation, dash;
enthusiasm, eagerness, gusto;
fervour, fervency, force, potency, vehemence;
inspiration, imagination, creativity, inventiveness, flair
informal pep, vim, zing, go, get-up-and-go, oomph, pizzazz
2.2 literary A glowing or luminous quality: their soft smiles light the air like a star’s fire
3The shooting of projectiles from weapons, especially bullets from guns: a burst of machine-gun fire mortar fire...
  • Four men were cut down by machine-gun fire in a gangland-style shooting.
  • The enemy met descending paratroopers with heavy small arms and machinegun fire.
  • However, in the hail of bullets and recoilless rifle fire, over fifty hostages had been killed.

Synonyms

gunfire, firing, sniping, flak, bombardment;
fusillade, volley, barrage, salvo, cannonade
3.1Strong criticism or antagonism: he directed his fire against policies promoting American capital flight...
  • Hitler himself was occasionally caught in the line of fire of criticism.
  • Despite drawing critical fire and reactionary ire, the show's back for a second series.
  • While he has taken most of the flak, the main fire should be directed at his partner.

Synonyms

criticism, censure, condemnation, castigation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, vituperation, scolding, chiding;
disapproval, hostility, antagonism, animosity, ill will, enmity
informal flak, brickbats, knocks, raps
verb [with object]
1Discharge a gun or other weapon in order to propel (a bullet or projectile): he fired a shot at the retreating prisoners they fired off a few rounds...
  • The Vulcan works by firing a projectile at high speed into a landmine, ripping it apart without detonating the explosives.
  • The moment came, and with the twelfth shot fired off, the bullets ceased and Johner drew back behind the barricade to reload his gun.
  • In suppressing the Quebec City protests, Canadian police for the first time used the impact weapon Arwen 37 which fires rubber bullets.

Synonyms

launch, shoot, discharge, eject, hurl, throw, send flying, let fly with, loose off, shy, send
North American informal pop
shoot, discharge, let off, trigger, set off, blast;
let fly with
1.1Discharge (a gun or other weapon): another gang fired a pistol through the window of a hostel [no object]: troops fired on crowds...
  • Suddenly he heard the distinct noise of a Gatling gun being fired.
  • He studied the simple pistol grip that fired the main gun.
  • Others have suggested that he held on to the pistol while firing the shotgun one-handed.
1.2 [no object] (Of a gun) be discharged: the first gun fired...
  • The Gatling guns all fired simultaneously, tearing through the rear of the vehicle and into the trunk.
  • The attack on Rommel's lines started with over 800 artillery guns firing at the German lines.
  • I first hear his machine guns firing and I turn my head in shock.
1.3Direct (questions or statements, especially unwelcome ones) towards someone in rapid succession: they fired questions at me for what seemed like ages...
  • However, he still was not content and he fired one more question at me.
  • For a quiz programme, it was quite a short one, with the questions being fired rapidly, and answered with equal speed by the contestants.
  • As the climax approaches, dozens of reporters run onto the stage, firing questions about the scandal in every direction.
1.4 (fire something off) Send a message aggressively: he fired off a letter informing her that he regarded the matter with the utmost seriousness...
  • In Tang Hall, 524 people signed objecting letters, and 72 protest letters were fired off to city chiefs.
  • He should do his homework before he fires letters off to your paper.
  • I fired my letter off to the Speaker immediately.
2 informal Dismiss (an employee) from a job: I had to fire men who’ve been with me for years you’re fired!...
  • This story apparently came to light when an assistant district attorney was fired for settling the case and not informing his superior.
  • The problem is that the paper has fired this trainee journalist presumably due to public pressure and not, one assumes, some facts of his resume.
  • There is a reluctance on the part of broadcast executives to fire presenters who stir up public outrage - because it sells.

Synonyms

dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, make redundant, lay off, let go, throw out, get rid of, oust, depose;
Military cashier
informal sack, give the sack to, axe, kick out, boot out, give someone the boot, give someone the bullet, give someone the (old) heave-ho, give someone the elbow, give someone the push, give someone their marching orders, show someone the door
British informal give someone their cards
3Supply (a furnace, engine, etc.) with fuel: liquefied petroleum gas can fire room heaters...
  • We were constructing wooden housing and using charcoal to fire blast furnaces.
  • As a teenager, to help his parents, he'd work double shifts firing engines in rail yards.
  • Because Watt's engine was fired by coal and not water, spinning factories could be located virtually anywhere.
3.1 [no object] (Of an internal combustion engine) undergo ignition of its fuel when started: the engine fired and she pushed her foot down on the accelerator...
  • Geordie who was talking to Cameron Shelton brought his conversation to a halt reluctantly, with several false stops like a car that kept on firing after the ignition had been switched on.
  • Getting behind the car, he pushed with gusto until the engine fired.
  • The only practical way to do this is to add some sort of large rocket engine that fires right before impact.

Synonyms

ignite, start, catch, get started, get going
3.2 (usually fire something up) Start (an engine or other device): with a flick of his wrist he fired up the chainsaw he fired up the laptop to find the address of his hostel...
  • A few times every spring and summer, Dad would fire up the old station wagon and drive us all to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.
  • I fired up my DVD player, reclined in my easy chair, and let the film unfurl before me.
  • It rained hard enough to chase us off the lake and back to the cabin to fire up the wood stove.
3.3 archaic Set fire to: I fired the straw
4Stimulate or excite (the imagination or an emotion): India fired my imagination...
  • Allende's vow to carry out a peaceful Socialist revolution fired the imagination of millions.
  • They don't fire the imagination or arouse the passions like the aristocratic love of honor.
  • Meera's blind love for Krishna has fired the imagination of many poets.

Synonyms

stimulate, stir up, excite, enliven, awaken, arouse, rouse, draw/call forth, bring out, engender, evoke, inflame, put/breathe life into, animate;
inspire, motivate, quicken, incite, drive, impel, spur on, galvanize, electrify, trigger, impassion
4.1Fill (someone) with enthusiasm: he was fired up for last season’s FA Cup final...
  • He was fired with a purpose - to highlight the plight of the poor, suffering masses of India.
  • He was ambitious of a wider effect: he was fired with the possibility that he might work out the proof of an anatomical conception and make a link in the chain of discovery.
  • It is a subject that clearly fires him and he delves enthusiastically into the process of applying for landing slots and the use of cooking oil as a fuel.

Synonyms

activate, motivate, stimulate, actuate, move, drive, rouse, stir, stir up, arouse, energize, animate, fire;
prompt, incite, spark off, influence, impel, spur on, urge, goad
4.2 [no object] (fire up) archaic Show sudden anger: If I were to hear anyone speak slightingly of you, I should fire up in a moment

Synonyms

stir up, arouse, rouse, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, move, fire the enthusiasm of, fire the imagination of, get going, whip up, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke, spur on, urge, encourage, animate, incite, egg on;
North American light a fire under
rare inspirit
5Bake or dry (pottery, bricks, etc.) in a kiln: methane gas is being used to fire bricks at a nearby factory...
  • The factory uses combined electricity and coal-fired kilns for firing the bricks.
  • Pottery in Texas was fired in a groundhog kiln, so named because part of the kiln is buried in the earth.
  • He can do chores for you, such as firing your pottery.

Phrases

breathe fire

catch fire

fire and brimstone

fire away

fire in the (or one's) belly

fire on all cylinders

go on fire

go through fire (and water)

light a fire under

on fire

return fire

set fire to

set the world on fire (also set the world alight)

take fire

under fire

where's the fire?

Derivatives

fireless

adjective ...
  • ‘Well, here we have it all,’ she said, turning to Wolf wearily, ‘the stuff of the common life: an empty pot, a bed of dry leaves, and soon a fireless hearth.’
  • The author cites Victorian novels showing that a smoky hearth symbolized the warmth and comfort of a loving family, while a fireless house indicated destitution.
  • There are many thousand fireless hearth places in Dublin on the bitterest days of winter. 20,000 families live in one-room tenements.

firer

noun ...
  • We've had air and soft air pistols, air rifles, blank firers and replica guns surrendered, which is an excellent result.
  • More than half of all the guns relinquished in Greater Manchester were ‘airsoft’ weapons like plastic-pellet firers, or ball-bearing guns and replica firearms.
  • A weapons amnesty, covering firearms, imitations, air weapons and blank firers, together with knives and other weapons, was launched across Surrey this week.

Origin

Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian 'supply with material for a fire', of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer.

  • In ancient and medieval thought fire was seen, along with water, air, and earth, as one of the four elements. The word goes back to an ancient root that also gave us the Greek word for fire, pur, the source of pyre (mid 17th century) and pyromaniac (mid 19th century). The phrase fire and brimstone is a traditional description of the torments of hell. In the biblical book of Revelation there is a reference to ‘a lake of fire burning with brimstone’. Brimstone (Old English) is an old word for sulphur, and literally means ‘burning stone’. A fire-and-brimstone sermon is one that gives vivid warning of the dangers of going to hell if you misbehave. To set the world on fire is to do something remarkable. An earlier British version was to set the Thames on fire, and a Scottish one is set the heather on fire. Whichever version is used, it tends to be with a negative implication. In Anthony Trollope's novel The Eustace Diamonds (1873) Lady Glencora is clear about the limitations of ‘poor Lord Fawn’ who ‘will never set the Thames on fire’.

Rhymes

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更新时间:2024/12/23 13:36:57