Word: burn Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenw- Proto-Indo-European *bʰrénuh₁e-? Proto-Germanic *brinnaną Proto-West Germanic *brinnan Old English biernan ▲ Proto-Germanic *brinnaną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *brannijaną Proto-West Germanic *brannijan Old English bærnan Old Norse brennabor. Middle English brennen English burn From Middle English barnin, bearne, beerne, beornen, berne, bernen, birne, burne, burnen, bærnen, which arose via the metathesis of branne, brennen, brennyn, brynne, from Old English beornan, biernan, birnan, byrnan, from Proto-West Germanic *brinnan, from Proto-Germanic *brinnaną (“to burn”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenw-, present stem from *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”). The East Midland forms were heavily influenced by Old Norse brenna, brinna (“to burn”). Doublet of brew. The late metathesis of East Midland brin- to birn- (and subsequently burn-) parallels the phonological development of bird and dirt from brid and drit. As this metathesized form became the Chancery Standard, it completely displaced the semantic functions and weak conjugation paradigm of the native Old English bærnan (weak), alongside the surviving remnants of byrnan (strong). Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian prönnan (“to burn”), Dutch barnen, branden (“to burn”), German brinnen (“to burn”), Luxembourgish brennen (“to burn”), Vilamovian brīn (“to burn”), Yiddish ברענען (brenen, “to burn”), Danish brænde (“to burn”), Faroese and Icelandic brenna (“to burn”), Norwegian Bokmål brenne (“to burn”), Norwegian Nynorsk brenna, brenne (“to burn”), Swedish brinna (“to burn”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (brinnan, “to burn”); also Cornish bros (“blazing, boiling”), Irish bruth (“heat; eruption; surf”), Welsh brwd (“eager, keen; passionate, zealous”), Latin defrutum (“grape must reduced by boiling”), Ancient Greek πορφύρω (porphúrō, “to boil, heave”), Albanian burth (“Cyclamen hederifolium; mouth burning”), Armenian աղբյուր (aġbyur, “fountain, spring”), Sanskrit भुर्वन् (bhurvan, “runnel, spring”). More at brew. Pronunciation: /bɜːn/, /bɔːn/, /bɝn/ 1. A physical injury caused by heat, cold, electricity, radiation or caustic chemicals. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: She had second-degree burns from falling in the bonfire. Example: He burnt his hand in the fire. 2. A sensation resembling such an injury. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: chili burn from eating hot peppers 3. The act of burning something with fire. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: They’re doing a controlled burn of the fields. Example: One typical Grecian kiln engorged one thousand muleloads of juniper wood in a single burn. 4. An intense non-physical sting, as left by shame or an effective insult. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 5. An effective insult, often in the expression sick burn (excellent or badass insult). Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 6. Physical sensation in the muscles following strenuous exercise, caused by build-up of lactic acid. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: One and, two and, keep moving; feel the burn! 7. Tobacco. Labels: UK, slang, uncountable Example: TOM: I’m serious bruv. Put my burn and lighter and all that in my jeans please and give them here, then press the cell bell. Example: “Any of you want to borrow some burn,” asked a scarred inmate known as Bull. 8. The writing of data to a permanent storage medium like a compact disc or a ROM chip. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Allow additional burns enables you to create a multisession CD, which can be used again to write more data. 9. The operation or result of burning or baking, as in brickmaking. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: They have a good burn. 10. A disease in vegetables; brand. Labels: uncountable 11. The firing of a spacecraft's rockets in order to change its course. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: On 4 March 1999, the MCO performed its second course correction manoeuvre with a burn involving its four thrusters […]