to burn down

Burn \Burn\ (b[^u]rn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burned} (b[^u]rnd)
   or {Burnt} (b[^u]rnt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Burning}.] [OE.
   bernen, brennen, v. t., early confused with beornen, birnen,
   v. i., AS. b[ae]rnan, bernan, v. t., birnan, v. i.; akin to
   OS. brinnan, OFries. barna, berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G.
   brennen, OD. bernen, D. branden, Dan. br[ae]nde, Sw.
   br[aum]nna, brinna, Icel. brenna, Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in
   comp.), and possibly to E. fervent.]
   1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of
      heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn
      up wood. "We'll burn his body in the holy place." --Shak.
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   2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some
      property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or
      heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char;
      to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face
      in the sun; the sun burns the grass.
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   3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the
      action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to
      destroy or change some property or properties of, by
      exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a
      desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn
      clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to
      produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.
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   4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the
      application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn
      charcoal; to burn letters into a block.
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   5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by
      action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does;
      as, to burn the mouth with pepper.
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            This tyrant fever burns me up.        --Shak.
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            This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. --Dryden.
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            When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth
            the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and
            consumeth the ??ass as fire.          --Ecclus.
                                                  xliii. 20, 21.
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   6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.
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   7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active
      agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as,
      a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each
      respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.
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   {To burn}, {To burn together}, as two surfaces of metal
      (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a
      quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

   {To burn a bowl} (Game of Bowls), to displace it
      accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be
      burned.

   {To burn daylight}, to light candles before it is dark; to
      waste time; to perform superfluous actions. --Shak.

   {To burn one's fingers}, to get one's self into unexpected
      trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others,
      speculation, etc.

   {To burn out},
      (a) to destroy or obliterate by burning. "Must you with
          hot irons burn out mine eyes?" --Shak.
      (b) to force (people) to flee by burning their homes or
          places of business; as, the rioters burned out the
          Chinese businessmen.

   {To be burned out}, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of
      one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

   {To burn up}, {To burn down}, to burn entirely.
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Burn \Burn\, v. i.
   1. To be of fire; to flame. "The mount burned with fire."
      --Deut. ix. 15.
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   2. To suffer from, or be scorched by, an excess of heat.
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            Your meat doth burn, quoth I.         --Shak.
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   3. To have a condition, quality, appearance, sensation, or
      emotion, as if on fire or excessively heated; to act or
      rage with destructive violence; to be in a state of lively
      emotion or strong desire; as, the face burns; to burn with
      fever.
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            Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked
            with us by the way?                   --Luke xxiv.
                                                  32.
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            The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
            Burned on the water.                  --Shak.
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            Burning with high hope.               --Byron.
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            The groan still deepens, and the combat burns.
                                                  --Pope.
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            The parching air
            Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire.
                                                  --Milton.
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   4. (Chem.) To combine energetically, with evolution of heat;
      as, copper burns in chlorine.
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   5. In certain games, to approach near to a concealed object
      which is sought. [Colloq.]
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   {To burn up}, {To burn down}, to be entirely consumed.
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