burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

plural burners

1

: one that burns: such as

a

: the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (such as a furnace or stove) where the flame or heat is produced

b

: a device for recording data on an optical disk

2

: an athlete who possesses great speed

3

: burner phone

… I leaned over and checked the glove box. There were two cell phones in there, both pre-paid burners with a set number of pre-paid minutes, both still in their drugstore packaging, effectively untraceable if bought with cash …

—Lee Child

4

medical : stinger sense 4

He missed two games late in the season because of what athletic trainers call "cervical burners," a fairly appropriate description of the pain that would originate in Wadsworth's neck and shoot down his body.

—Emily Dorman

see also:

burner account

Examples of burner in a Sentence

The burner on the furnace isn't working.

The computer comes equipped with a CD burner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lichen, a Ridgewood design shop and incubator, put on an intriguing survey of incense burners during design week. —Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 23 May 2026

Available upgrade packages include equipment like A/C and heat, solar panels, a water heater, an onboard air compressor, an articulating off-road hitch, a Camp Chef dual-burner stove, a quick-deploy shower and privacy tent, and a Dometic portable toilet. —C.c. Weiss may 22, New Atlas, 22 May 2026

The real surge is in the upper-middle class of baserunners who aren’t necessarily burners but have enough speed to take a bag, and have become more confident and comfortable running against a pitcher who’s up against the clock. —Chad Jennings, New York Times, 21 May 2026

The electric single burner is a portable electric hot plate that lets shoppers cook anywhere there’s an outlet — useful for dorms, small apartments, RVs or as a backup when a stovetop is out of commission. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing burner

• back burner
• barn burner
• Bunsen burner
• burner account
• burner phone
• front burner
• on the back burner
• on the front burner

Rhymes for burner

• earner
• learner
• sterner
• afterburner

Kids Definition

burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

: one that burns: as

a

: the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (as a furnace or stove) where a flame or heat is produced

b

: a device for recording data on an optical disk

Medical Definition

burner

noun

burn·​er ˈbər-nər 

: stinger sense 2