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

Even back in February, Drake had some fun at Budden’s expense when posting a video of him getting out of a car on his PlotTwist burner Instagram account. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025

On that topic, remember to clean your burners regularly. —Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025

Turn the burner off, carefully lift the chicken out of the broth, and let cool. —Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025

According to court records, Djerf splashed gasoline on the Luna family members' bodies and throughout the house, turned on some of the kitchen stove burners and placed an empty pizza box and a rag on the stove before leaving. —Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 18 Oct. 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