Link Centre Dictionary

combustion

com·bus·tion

UK/kəmˈbʌs.t͡ʃən/ US/kəɱˈbʌs.t͡ʃʰən] ~ [kəɱˈbʌs.t͡ʃʰn̩/ uncommon

noun

1.

a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light

Synonyms
2.

a state of violent disturbance and excitement

  • “combustion grew until revolt was unavoidable”
3.

the act of burning something

  • “the burning of leaves was prohibited by a town ordinance”
Synonyms

Origin

From Old French combustion, from Latin combustio, from comburere (“to burn”), itself from the intensifying prefix com- + the root burere (a faulty sep. of amburere "to burn around", itself from ambi- + urere "to burn, singe"); equivalent to combust + -ion.

Phrases

  • combustion chamber
  • combustion engine
  • combustion triangle
  • internal combustion
  • internal combustion engine
  • internal-combustion engine
  • spontaneous combustion
  • spontaneous human combustion

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.