Main Entry: Bun·sen burn·er

Pronunciation: \ˈbən(t)-sən-ˌbər-nər\

Function: noun

: a gas burner consisting typically of a straight tube with small holes at the bottom where air enters and mixes with the gas to produce an intensely hot blue flame

Bun·sen \ˈbu̇n-zən\ , Robert Wilhelm (1811–1899), German chemist. Bunsen is credited with a number of discoveries and inventions. In 1834 he discovered that freshly precipitated, hydrated ferric oxide is an antidote for arsenic poisoning. The most famous of his inventions, the Bunsen burner, was actually a minor refinement of inventions by Aimé Argand and Michael Faraday. Bunsen introduced his version in 1855.