incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsi-nə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

transitive verb

: to cause to burn to ashes

incineration

in-ˌsi-nə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Examples of incinerate in a Sentence

The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

Recent Examples on the Web

The American Meteor Society has received at least 120 reports of the fireball created by the incinerating satellite. —Eric MacK, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

Let your pizza sit for a few seconds too long, and the flames will take the dough from lightly singed to fully incinerated. —Saahil Desai, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024

The remaining plastic waste is incinerated or ends up in landfills or in waterways, endangering wildlife, damaging the environment and harming human health. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

The center receives food waste from hundreds of supermarkets and food manufacturers, charging less than facilities that incinerate. —Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin incineratus, past participle of incinerare, from Latin in- + ciner-, cinis ashes; akin to Greek konis dust, ashes

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

incinerate

verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to burn to ashes

incineration

-ˌsin-ə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

incinerate

transitive verb

in·​cin·​er·​ate in-ˈsin-ə-ˌrāt 

incinerated; incinerating

: to cause to burn to ashes