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

They are currently run from combusting fossil fuels like coal, oil or gas. —Sumant Sinha, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Crews detected no visible signs of the fire, such as flames, smoke or perceptibly combusting material. —Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024

And firefighters in Palm Harbor, Florida, last year warned Tesla owners their rechargeable car batteries could combust if exposed to saltwater after two of the electric vehicles caught fire following submersion. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2024

The chemical element sticks to human skin and can combust spontaneously when exposed to air at temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. —Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 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