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

By mid-July, Bivins was starting to cooperate with FBI agents, agreeing to record a critical conversation with Villar on their burner cellphones. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025

Stein doesn’t advise using aluminum foil to line drip pans because the foil can reflect heat unevenly, causing issues with how your burners work. —Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025

The clarification comes about a week after Drake reacted to the move, taking to his burner Instagram account, @plottttwistttttt, to share a picture of himself and Jill Smoller, Williams’ longtime agent. —Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Feb. 2025

The 160 holes on the comprehensive burner system all feed in small flames to combine into the tall, powerful fire that surges upward out of the grille. —New Atlas, 16 Feb. 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