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

Nash is no burner, but the former quarterback knows how to get open and is still learning his new position. —Matt Barrows, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025

Then, turn off the burner and carefully ladle 1 ½ cups of hot broth into each bowl through a mesh sieve, to catch the thyme leaves and stems. —Vicky Hallett, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025

Pick your favorite degreasing product or natural cleaning solution, but just make sure to regularly take steps to get rid of the grime—and don't forget to get under your removable stove burners. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025

For Fitzgerald, Strange Darling ended up being a rare projects that fired on all burners. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

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