Dictionary entry details
• FIRE (noun)
Meaning:
The event of something burning (often destructive)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Context example:
they lost everything in the fire
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fire"):
smudge (a smoky fire to drive away insects)
smolder; smoulder (a fire that burns with thick smoke but no flame)
grassfire; prairie fire (an uncontrolled fire in a grassy area)
forest fire (an uncontrolled fire in a wooded area)
conflagration; inferno (a very intense and uncontrolled fire)
campfire (a small outdoor fire for warmth or cooking (as at a camp))
brush fire (an uncontrolled fire that consumes brush and shrubs and bushes)
balefire; bonfire (a large outdoor fire that is lighted as a signal or in celebration)
backfire (a fire that is set intentionally in order to slow an approaching forest fire or grassfire by clearing a burned area in its path)
Meaning:
The process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Synonyms:
flaming; flame; fire
Context example:
fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
burning; combustion (a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fire"):
ignition (the process of initiating combustion or catching fire)
flare (a sudden burst of flame)
blaze; blazing (a strong flame that burns brightly)
Meaning:
The act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
firing; fire
Context examples:
hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes / they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
attack; onrush; onset; onslaught ((military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fire"):
antiaircraft fire (firing at enemy aircraft)
indirect fire (fire delivered on a target that is not itself used as the point of aim for the weapons)
interdiction fire (fire directed to an area to prevent the enemy from using that area)
neutralization fire (fire that is delivered in order to render the target ineffective or unusable)
observed fire (fire for which the point of impact (the burst) can be seen by an observer; fire can be adjusted on the basis of the observations)
preparation fire (fire delivered on a target in preparation for an assault)
radar fire (gunfire aimed a target that is being tracked by radar)
registration fire (fire delivered to obtain accurate data for subsequent effective engagement of targets)
scheduled fire (prearranged fire delivered at a predetermined time)
searching fire (fire distributed in depth by successive changes in the elevation of the gun)
supporting fire (fire delivered by supporting units to protect or assist a unit in combat)
suppressive fire (fire on or about a weapon system to degrade its performance below what is needed to fulfill its mission objectives)
unobserved fire (fire for which the point of impact (the bursts) cannot be observed)
artillery fire; cannon fire (fire delivered by artillery)
harassing fire (fire designed to disturb the rest of enemy troops and to curtail movement and to lower enemy morale)
grazing fire (fire approximately parallel to the ground; the center of the cone of fire does rise above 1 meter from the ground)
hostile fire (fire that injures or kills an enemy)
barrage; barrage fire; battery; bombardment; shelling (the heavy fire of artillery to saturate an area rather than hit a specific target)
broadside (the simultaneous firing of all the armament on one side of a warship)
burst; fusillade; salvo; volley (rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms)
call fire (fire delivered on a specific target in response to a request from the supported unit)
cover; covering fire (fire that makes it difficult for the enemy to fire on your own individuals or formations)
concentrated fire; massed fire (fire from two or more weapons directed at a single target or area (as fire by batteries of two or more warships))
counterfire (fire intended to neutralize or destroy enemy weapons)
counterpreparation fire (intensive prearranged fire delivered when the immanence of enemy attack is discovered)
fratricide; friendly fire (fire that injures or kills an ally)
distributed fire (fire dispersed so as to engage effectively an area target)
direct fire (fire delivered on a target that is visible to the person aiming it)
destruction fire (fire delivered for the sole purpose of destroying material objects)
crossfire (fire from two or more points so that the lines of fire cross)
Meaning:
A fireplace in which a relatively small fire is burning
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Context example:
they sat by the fire and talked
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
fireplace; hearth; open fireplace (an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fire"):
cookfire (a fire for cooking)
Meaning:
Intense adverse criticism
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
flak; flack; attack; fire; blast
Context examples:
Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party / the government has come under attack / don't give me any flak
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
criticism; unfavorable judgment (disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings)
Meaning:
Feelings of great warmth and intensity
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Synonyms:
fervor; fervidness; fervency; fervour; ardour; ardor; fire
Context example:
he spoke with great ardor
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
passion; passionateness (strong feeling or emotion)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fire"):
zeal (excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end)
Meaning:
Once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting substances
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
element (one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe)
Domain usage:
archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)
Meaning:
A severe trial
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Context example:
he went through fire and damnation
Hypernyms ("fire" is a kind of...):
trial; tribulation; visitation (an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event)
• FIRE (verb)
Meaning:
Start firing a weapon
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Synonyms:
fire; open fire
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
shoot (fire a shot)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Meaning:
Cause to go off
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Synonyms:
fire; discharge
Context examples:
fire a gun / fire a bullet
Cause:
discharge; fire; go off (go off or discharge)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fire"):
pop (fire a weapon with a loud explosive noise)
let drive; let fly; loose off (fire as from a gun)
shoot (fire a shot)
fusillade (attack with fusillade)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Bake in a kiln so as to harden
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Context example:
fire pottery
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
bake (cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven)
Domain category:
cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Terminate the employment of
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Synonyms:
give the sack; give the axe; give notice; send away; sack; force out; can; fire; dismiss; terminate
Context examples:
The boss fired his secretary today / The company terminated 25% of its workers
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
remove (remove from a position or an office)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fire"):
retire (make (someone) retire)
pension off (let go from employment with an attractive pension)
clean out (force out)
furlough; lay off (dismiss, usually for economic reasons)
squeeze out (force out)
dismiss; drop; send away; send packing (stop associating with)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
Antonym:
hire (engage or hire for work)
Meaning:
Go off or discharge
Classified under:
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities
Synonyms:
go off; fire; discharge
Context example:
The gun fired
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
Meaning:
Drive out or away by or as if by fire
Classified under:
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming
Context examples:
The soldiers were fired / Surrender fires the cold skepticism
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
chase away; dispel; drive away; drive off; drive out; run off; turn back (force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
evoke; elicit; arouse; provoke; enkindle; kindle; fire; raise
Context examples:
arouse pity / raise a smile / evoke sympathy
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
create; make (make or cause to be or to become)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fire"):
anger (make angry)
discomfit; discompose; disconcert; untune; upset (cause to lose one's composure)
shame (cause to be ashamed)
bruise; hurt; injure; offend; spite; wound (hurt the feelings of)
overcome; overpower; overtake; overwhelm; sweep over; whelm (overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli)
interest (excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of)
excite (arouse or elicit a feeling)
excite; shake; shake up; stimulate; stir (stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of)
fire up; heat; ignite; inflame; stir up; wake (arouse or excite feelings and passions)
strike a chord; touch a chord (evoke a reaction, response, or emotion)
ask for; invite (increase the likelihood of)
draw (elicit responses, such as objections, criticism, applause, etc.)
rekindle (arouse again)
infatuate (arouse unreasoning love or passion in and cause to behave in an irrational way)
prick (to cause a sharp emotional pain)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Destroy by fire
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
burn; burn down; fire
Context example:
They burned the house and his diaries
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
destroy; ruin (destroy completely; damage irreparably)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fire"):
scorch (destroy completely by or as if by fire)
torch (burn maliciously, as by arson)
cremate (reduce to ashes)
backfire (set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Sentence example:
They fire the trees
Meaning:
Provide with fuel
Classified under:
Verbs of buying, selling, owning
Synonyms:
fuel; fire
Context example:
Oil fires the furnace
Hypernyms (to "fire" is one way to...):
furnish; provide; render; supply (provide or furnish with)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
