Burn Definition
- To stop burning from lack of fuel:
The brush fire finally burned itself out.
- To eliminate the possibility of return or retreat.
- To exhaust oneself or one's resources by leading a hectic or extravagant life.
- To work or study very late at night.
- In great amounts:
They had money to burn.
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Burn
Origin of Burn
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From Middle English burn, bourne, from Old English burne, burna (“spring, fountain”), from Proto-Germanic *brunnô, *brunō (compare West Frisian boarne, Dutch bron, German Brunnen), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrew- (compare Albanian burim (“spring, fountain”) from buroj (“to pour, gush, derive”), Ancient Greek [script?] (phréār, “well, reservoir”), Old Armenian աղբիւր (ałbiwr, “fount”)). Doublet of bourn. More at brew.
From Wiktionary
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From Middle English bernen, birnen, from Old English byrnan, beornan (“to burn”), from Proto-Germanic *brinnaną (“to burn”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrenu̯ (compare Middle Irish brennim (“drink up”), bruinnim (“bubble up”)), present stem from *bʰreu-, *bʰru- (compare Middle Irish bréo (“flame”), Albanian burth (“Cyclamen europaeum, mouth burning”), Sanskrit [script?] (bhuráti, “moves quickly, twitches, fidgets”)). More at brew.
From Wiktionary
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Middle English burnen from Old English beornan to be on fire, and from bærnan to set on fire gwher- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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Middle English from Old English burna bhreu- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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