fire
1 fire
2 smoke
3 starting a fire
4 using fire for heat, etc
5 stopping a fire
6 protecting people against fire
1 fire
- the heat and light produced by sth which is burning: fire (noun C/U)
Make sure you know what to do if there's a fire. ◎ a forest fire ◎ The school was destroyed by fire.
- a large or dangerous fire: blaze
Two children died in the blaze.
- an area of heat and light which rises from sth which is burning: flame
the flame of a candle
- if there is a fire, sth is burning, on fire, alight (adjective, not before a noun)
a burning oil well ◎ The house is on fire! ◎ Most of the building was already alight.
- burning strongly: ablaze (adjective, not before a noun), in flames
- to be on fire; to be able to be on fire: burn
The fire is burning well. ◎ This kind of material doesn't burn very easily.
- if sth is able to burn easily, it is flammable, inflammable; opposite: non-flammable
Caution: flammable.
- to begin to burn, often accidentally: catch* fire
Be careful - your skirt might catch fire.
- to begin to burn suddenly and strongly: burst* into flames, go* up (in flames)
The car crashed and immediately burst into flames. ◎ Everything we owned went up in flames.
- to burn unsteadily: flicker
a flickering flame
- when a fire gets bigger and moves over a larger area, it spreads*
By now the fire had spread to other parts of the town.
- a small piece of burning wood, etc which can fly out of a fire: spark
Watch out for the sparks.
- when a fire finishes, it goes* out; when it has finished, it is out
Try not to let the fire go out.
- the grey dust which is left after sth has burnt: ash (noun U)
- when the last part of a fire continues to burn slowly without a flame, it smoulders (AmE smolder)
Don't touch it - it's still smouldering.
- small pieces of coal or wood which are still smouldering: embers (noun plural)
- the black dust which can be found in places where there has been a fire: soot (noun U); adjective: sooty
※ damage caused by fires
- to hurt sb by fire: burn sb; a red mark on the skin where it has been burnt: burn
His back was horribly burnt. ◎ She had severe burns on her arms.
- to destroy or damage sth by fire: burn sth; to be destroyed or damaged by fire: burn, get* burnt
He asked me to take the papers outside and burn them. ◎ The toast has got burnt!
- to burn sth so that it is slightly damaged: scorch sth
I'm afraid I scorched your dress while I was ironing it.
- to completely destroy sth by fire: burn sth down, burn sth to the ground, burn sth out (usually passive)
It's not the first time they've tried to burn down the school. ◎ The hotel was burnt to the ground. ◎ The car was completely burnt out.
- (used about buildings) to be completely destroyed by fire: burn down, burn to the ground
2 smoke
- the cloud of gas which you can see in the air when sth is burning: smoke (noun U)
The first thing we noticed was the smell of smoke. ◎ thick/dense smoke
- to give out smoke: smoke
smoking factory chimneys
- having a lot of smoke; smelling or tasting of smoke: smoky
a room with a smoky atmosphere ◎ a smoky flavour
- an amount of smoke in the air: cloud (of smoke)
a cloud of dense black smoke
- a small amount of smoke: puff (of smoke)
little puffs of smoke
- an unpleasant and dangerous mixture of smoke and gases: fumes (noun plural)
the smell of exhaust fumes
- the passage by which smoke leaves a building, for example from the fireplace to a hole in the roof: chimney
3 starting a fire
- the thin wooden part of a match: matchstick
- a small box for matches: matchbox
- an object which produces a small flame for lighting cigarettes, etc: (cigarette) lighter
- to make a match burn: light* a match, strike* a match
- to start a fire, especially in a house to keep warm: light* (a fire); to begin to burn: light*
to light a fire ◎ I can't get this fire to light.
- to start a fire, especially to cause damage: set* sth on fire, set* fire to sth
They killed most of the villagers and set their houses on fire.
- something which you can use to start a fire (for example a match or lighter): light
Have you got a light?
4 using fire for heat, etc
- a fire which is used to heat a room: fire
I spent the whole evening reading by the fire. ◎ We lit a fire to keep warm.
- the light from a fire: firelight (noun U)
sitting around chatting in the firelight
- the place in a room where a fire is lit: fireplace
- a shelf on top of a fireplace: mantelpiece
- a substance which can be burnt in order to produce heat: fuel (noun U)
- a type of solid black fuel which is found under the ground: coal (noun U)
- wood which is burnt as a fuel: firewood (noun U); a piece of firewood: log
a roaring log fire
- a fuel which does not produce smoke when it burns is smokeless
※ more on coal, wood and fuel COAL, WOOD, FUEL
- other ways of heating a house or room HOT
5 stopping a fire
- to stop a fire: put* sth out, (formal) extinguish sth
It took them several hours to put out the blaze.
- to put out a small fire (for example a candle) by blowing on it: blow* sth out
See if you can blow out all the candles in one breath.
- to put out a fire by beating it: beat* sth out
She managed to beat the flames out before they spread too far.
- to try to put out a fire: fight* a fire
- a metal container containing a substance which is used to put out fires: (fire) extinguisher
- a person whose job is to fight fires: firefighter, fireman
- an organized team of firefighters: fire brigade, fire service (AmE fire department)
to call the fire brigade
- a special vehicle with equipment for fighting fires: fire engine
- a place where firefighters and fire engines are based: fire station
- if you need to call the fire service on the phone, you dial 999 (in the UK), dial 911 (in the US)
6 protecting people against fire
- a machine which makes a loud noise to warn people that there is a fire: fire alarm, alarm
If you hear the fire alarm, you must leave the building as quickly as possible.
- an alarm which sounds automatically when there is smoke in a room: smoke alarm
- a way of leaving a building when there is a fire: fire exit
- a special outside staircase for leaving a building when there is a fire: fire escape
- something which cannot be destroyed by fire is fireproof
※ MORE ...
- a large fire which people build in the garden in order to burn rubbish: bonfire
- a small object, often fired into the air like a rocket, which burns with coloured lights and loud noises, and which is used after dark on special occasions: firework
- a large machine like an oven, in which fire is used to melt metal, burn rubbish, etc: furnace
- the crime of starting a fire on purpose: arson (noun U)
He's suspected of committing several acts of arson.
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