combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

combusted; combusting; combusts

: burn

Synonyms

• blaze
• burn
• flame
• glow

Examples of combust in a Sentence

anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal

Recent Examples on the Web

One advantage is that LEDs are cooler and less likely to combust or burn. —Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

And at many others, things combust in ways even worse than the sternest warning might have suggested. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024

Unlike fossil fuels, which can’t be recovered once they are combusted, the metal components of renewable energy technologies can be recycled. —Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024

That turned out to be one of the sparks that Mr. McCabe’s work needed to combust into an online sensation. —Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

derivative of earlier combust, combusted "burned, consumed," going back to Middle English combust, borrowed from Latin combustus, past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes, calcine," from com- com- + ūrere "to expose to fire, burn, scorch" (with -b- from ambūrere "to burn around, scorch," falsely parsed as am- + būrere) — more at adust

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

: to be or set on fire : burn