Word: fire Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ Proto-Germanic *fōr Proto-West Germanic *fuir Old English fȳr Middle English fyr English fire From Middle English fyr, from Old English fȳr (“fire”), from Proto-West Germanic *fuir, from *fuïr, a regularised form of Proto-Germanic *fōr (“fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥. Cognates See also Scots feier, fyre (“fire”), Yola vier, vire (“fire”), Saterland Frisian Fjuur, Fjúur (“fire”), West Frisian fjoer (“fire”), Alemannic German Füür (“fire”), Bavarian Feia (“fire”), Central Franconian Fauer, Feier, Füür (“fire”), Cimbrian bôar, vaür, vôar (“fire”), Dutch vier, vuur (“fire”), German Feuer (“fire”), German Low German Füer, Füür (“fire”), Luxembourgish Feier (“fire”), Mòcheno vaier (“fire”), Vilamovian faojer (“fire”), West Flemish vier (“fire”), Yiddish פֿײַער (fayer, “fire”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fyr (“fire”), Icelandic funi (“fire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌽 (fōn, “fire”). Also, compare Armenian հուր (hur, “fire”), Greek πυρ (pyr, “fire”), Latin pūrgō (“to clean, cleanse, clear, purge, purify”), Umbrian 𐌐𐌉𐌓 (pir, “fire”), Bulgarian фир (fir, “ooze, pickle, soak”), Polish perz (“smoke”), Hittite 𒉺𒄴𒄯 (paḫḫur, “fire”), Luwian 𒉺𒀀𒄷𒌋𒌨 (pāhūr, “fire”), Tocharian A/B por/puwar (“fire”). This was an inanimate noun whose animate counterpart was Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥gʷnis (see ignite). Cognate to pyre. Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪ.ə/, [ˈfaɪ̯ə], [ˈfaː(ə)], [ˈfɑː(ə)], /ˈfaɪ.ɚ/ 1. A (usually self-sustaining) chemical reaction involving the bonding of oxygen with carbon or other fuel, with the production of heat and the presence of flame or smouldering. Labels: uncountable 2. An instance of this chemical reaction, especially when intentionally created and maintained in a specific location to a useful end (such as a campfire or a hearth fire). Labels: countable Example: We sat about the fire singing songs and telling tales. Example: We toted in the wood and got the fire going nice and comfortable. Lord James still set in one of the chairs and Applegate had cabbaged the other and was hugging the stove. 3. The occurrence, often accidental, of fire in a certain place, causing damage and danger. Labels: countable Example: There was a fire at the school last night and the whole place burned down. Example: During hot and dry summers many fires in forests are caused by regardlessly discarded cigarette butts. 4. The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy. Labels: uncountable 5. A heater or stove used in place of a real fire (such as an electric fire). Labels: UK, countable 6. The elements necessary to start a fire. Labels: countable Example: The fire was laid and needed to be lit. 7. The bullets or other projectiles fired from a gun or other ranged weapon. Labels: uncountable Example: The fire from the enemy guns kept us from attacking. 8. A planned bombardment by artillery or similar weapons, or the capability to deliver such. Labels: countable Example: We dominated the battlespace with our fires. 9. A firearm. Labels: countable, slang Example: I used to work at Five Below but now I keep that fire below 10. A barrage, volley Labels: countable, figuratively Example: In the district of Erfurt a very heavy sheaf [...] is called the Great Mother, and is carried on the last waggon to the barn, where all hands lift it down amid a fire of jokes. 11. An instance of firing one or more rocket engines. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: static fire 12. Strength of passion, whether love or hate. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: He had fire in his temper. Example: You call it hope—that fire of fire! It is but agony of desire: […] 13. Liveliness of imagination or fancy; intellectual and moral enthusiasm. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: And bless their critic with a poet's fire. Example: Attendance of QN meetings has been dwindling, and the creative fire drained from the organization by the dead hand of wannabe bureaucrats bend ^([sic]) on thought control. The action has long since been elsewhere. 14. Splendour; brilliancy; lustre; hence, a star. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Stars, hide your fires. Example: As in a zodiac representing the heavenly fires. 15. A severe trial; anything inflaming or provoking. Labels: countable, uncountable 16. Red coloration in a piece of opal. Labels: countable, uncountable 17. The capacity of a gemstone, especially a faceted, cut gemstone, that is transparent to visible light, to disperse white light into its multispectral component parts, resulting in a flash of different colors, the richness and dispersion of which increases the gemstone's value. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: In other words, the more times a light ray reflects within a diamond, the greater the separation of the spectral colors—and the more obvious the appearance of fire—will be. Fire in a gemstone is best defined as "the visible extent of light dispersed into spectral colors" (Reinitz et al., 2001). In a polished diamond, this is seen as flares or flashes of color that appear and disappear as the diamond, the observer, or the light source moves.