COMBUST

burn, combust

(verb) undergo combustion; “Maple wood burns well”

combust

(verb) cause to become violent or angry; “Riots combusted Pakistan after the U.S. air attacks on Afghanistan”

erupt, ignite, catch fire, take fire, combust, conflagrate

(verb) start to burn or burst into flames; “Marsh gases ignited suddenly”; “The oily rags combusted spontaneously”

burn, combust

(verb) cause to burn or combust; “The sun burned off the fog”; “We combust coal and other fossil fuels”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

combust (third-person singular simple present combusts, present participle combusting, simple past and past participle combusted)

To burn; to catch fire.

(intransitive, figuratively) To erupt with enthusiasm or boisterousness.

Hyponyms

• deflagrate

• detonate

Adjective

combust (comparative more combust, superlative most combust)

(obsolete) Burnt.

(astrology) In close conjunction with the sun (so that its astrological influence is "burnt up"), sometimes specified to be within 8 degrees 30'.

Noun

combust

(obsolete) That which undergoes burning.

Source: Wiktionary


Com*bust", a. Etym: [L. combustus, p. p. of comburere to burn up; com- + burere (only in comp.), of uncertian origin; cf. bustum fineral pyre, prurire to itch, pruna a live coal, Gr. plush to burn.]

1. Burnt; consumed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. (Astron.)

Definition: So near the sun as to be obscured or eclipsed by his light, as the moon or planets when not more than eight degrees and a half from the sun. [Obs.] Planets that are oft combust. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

1 May 2025

ECONOMIC

(adjective) of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth; “economic growth”; “aspects of social, political, and economical life”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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