burn
Burn (noun) means an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation. Example: “She got a nasty burn from the hot oven tray.”
How to Use Burn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be on fire or destroyed by fire, to injure with heat, or (informally) a stinging insult or wasted resource.
Past tense can be "burned" or "burnt" — both are correct; "burnt" is more common in British English, especially as an adjective ("burnt toast").
Word Forms
burned past tense, burnt past tense, brent past tense, burns plural, burn plural, burned plural, burnt plural, burns plural, Burns plural, burns singular, burn singular, burned singular, burnt singular, burnest singular, burnedst singular, burntest singular, burneth singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She got a nasty _____ from the hot oven tray.
Etymology
From Old English forms (bærnan, byrnan) going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to burn" — a distant relative of the word "brew."
Related Words
Rhymes for burn
See all rhymes for burn →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “burn” mean?
The word “burn” means an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation. In plain terms, to be on fire or destroyed by fire, to injure with heat, or (informally) a stinging insult or wasted resource.
How do you pronounce “burn”?
“Burn” is pronounced burn (/bɝn/ in IPA).
How do you use “burn” in a sentence?
Here is “burn” used in a sentence: “She got a nasty burn from the hot oven tray.”
What is another word for “burn”?
Words with a similar meaning to “burn” include combust, forburn, outburn, go up and torch.
What part of speech is “burn”?
Depending on how it is used, “burn” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “burn” come from?
The word “burn” comes from Old English. From Old English forms (bærnan, byrnan) going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to burn" — a distant relative of the word "brew.".
Is “burn” a common word?
“Burn” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “burn” have?
“Burn” has 7 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an injury to skin or tissue caused by heat, fire, chemicals, or radiation.
What are the different degrees of burn?
Burns are graded by depth. A first-degree burn affects only the outer skin, causing redness and pain, like mild sunburn. A second-degree burn reaches deeper and blisters. A third-degree burn destroys the full thickness of skin, and a fourth-degree burn extends into muscle or bone. Deeper burns are more serious.
What is the difference between a first- and second-degree burn?
The difference is depth. A first-degree burn touches only the top layer of skin, leaving it red, dry and sore but unbroken. A second-degree burn goes deeper into the layer beneath, so the skin blisters, weeps and hurts more. Second-degree burns generally take longer to heal and need more care.
What can cause a burn besides fire?
Plenty of things. As well as flames and hot objects, burns can come from scalding liquids or steam, harsh chemicals such as acids, electricity, friction, and radiation — including the sun's ultraviolet rays, which cause sunburn. Any of these can damage skin or tissue in a similar, painful way.